By Augusta Lafalay
Claim: “City Court Judge is about to deny US$6 Million Bill Bond through Vice President ,Jeremiah Kpan Koungs Sr. Interference.”
Source: Byron Byron, Media Supervisor to former House Speaker, J. Fonati Koffa
Verdict: There's no evidence of vice president Jeremiah Koung interfering with the $6 million bail bond submitted to secure the release of Fonati Koffa.
Full Text: Byron is a staff member in the office of House Speaker Koffa who is being trial along with four others for criminal conspiracy, Arson, criminal mischief, recklessly endangering another person, and the illegal position of fire arm, among others. They were detailed at the police headquarters on Friday and later transferred to the central prison where they were until their release on June 9, 2025, due to a Police investigative report that linked them to the Capitol Building fire in December 2024. On 7th June, the same being the second night of Koffa and four other colleagues' detention, Bryon posted that Vice President Koung was interfering with Koffa's criminal appearance bond, a basis for which magistrate Ben Barco denied the $6 million bail bond of Koffa.
This post generated 134 comments and 4 shares as of the time of verification.
Following the December 18, 2024, fire that destroyed the rotunda of the Capitol Building, the police and fire service began an investigation and found that the incident was arson. Subsequently, on June 4, 2025, the Liberia National Police summoned seven representatives for questioning about the fire. following that, the Country witnessed the arrest and charges of five lawmakers on June 6, 2025, for the arson. They were forwarded to the Monrovia City Court on June 7, 2025, for prosecution.
Verification: We reviewed live TV coverage from Spoon TV, which interviewed Koffa's lawyer, Counselor Jonathan Massaquoi, on June 7, 2025.
Counselor Massaquoi clearly stated during the live interview: no bail bond application was ever submitted to the court instead; they were seeking release on "personal recognizance" (release without bail based on a promise to appear in court), and they had not yet made any formal bail application as of the time of the interview.
"We did not make an application for a bail bond; we will make the application. We made efforts for them to be released based on personal recognizance as per their position," Massaquoi said.
Personal recognizance refers to release from custody without bail, based solely on the defendant's promise to appear in court, an alternative to posting money for bail.
Conclusion: Since no bail application was filed, there was nothing for the judge to deny or approve. Therefore, the claims about VP interference in a non-existent bail decision are therefore false.
