Temple of Justice, Monrovia– In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday, defendant John Nyanti, one of the prime suspects linked to the Capitol Building arson attack, accused the Liberian government of offering him over US$200,000 to falsely implicate former Speaker of the House, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.
Nyanti, who had been on the run since the incident, was recently extradited to Liberia and brought under heavy police escort to the Monrovia City Court.
What was expected to be a routine legal proceeding quickly escalated when Nyanti, speaking to reporters on his way to court, claimed that he had been held in a Monrovia hotel under government watch since June 6, 2025.
According to Nyanti, during his alleged hotel detention, he was persistently pressured by senior security officers, identified only by the codes “106,” “103,” and a man named Mark Ambula, to provide false testimony against Cllr. Koffa.
He claimed the government offered him a bribe of US$200,000 in exchange for his cooperation.
“It’s a blatant lie. It’s a lie from the belly of the devil,” Nyanti declared. “You have evidence, then you want to give me $200,000 to lie?”
Nyanti did not provide material evidence to support his allegations, but his explosive claims are expected to reignite political tensions, especially as the Capitol Building arson case continues to dominate national attention.
As of press time, neither the Liberia National Police nor the Ministry of Justice had issued an official response to the allegations.
Legal analysts say the claims, if proven credible, could complicate the prosecution’s case and potentially shift the trajectory of the ongoing investigation.
For now, Nyanti has been remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison, where he awaits trial.
The charges against him stem from his alleged involvement in the high-profile arson attack on the Capitol Building last year, a case that has shaken the nation and exposed deep political fractures.
Verity News will continue to follow this developing story as more details emerge.
