Criminal Court ‘A’ at the Temple of Justice on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, rejected a prosecution request to remove one of the seated jurors in the ongoing trial involving Representative Fonati Koffa and more than a dozen co-defendants charged with arson, criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy, criminal solicitation, attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm, and other related offenses.
Resident Circuit Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie handed down the ruling during the 15th Day Jury Sitting of the Court’s November Term, following arguments from both the State and the defense over whether Juror J30-9819 should be disqualified based on photographs allegedly showing her at a political campaign event for one of the defendants, former Representative Abu Kamara.
The State, represented by a team of senior prosecutors including Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah, Cllr. Jerry D.K. Garlawolo, and Cllr. Dr. Aloysius F.K. Allison, informed the court on Tuesday that it had obtained social-media photographs purportedly showing Juror J30-9819 among a group of women wearing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) paraphernalia at a political gathering for Kamara. According to the prosecution, keeping the juror on the panel risked bias and conflict of interest.
However, the juror, when questioned directly by Judge Willie-emphatically denied being in the photographs, stating that the person pictured was her mother, not herself.
The defense, represented by Cllr. Momolu G. Kandakai, Cllr. J. Quiwoe Dennis and others argued that the photographs were unauthenticated “flying sheets” with no witness testimony, no verifiable source, and no evidentiary value.
They maintained that even if the juror were politically affiliated, the Constitution protects her right to such affiliation.
Judge Rules Evidence Unreliable, Notes Risk of Fabrication
In his ruling, Judge Willie emphasized that: No witness authenticated the photographs,
The images did not match the juror’s photo on her jury management form, and
The widespread use of AI and digital editing makes unverified images unreliable as evidence.
He further noted that the New Jury Law requires proof of actual bias or conflict of interest before disqualifying a juror-something the prosecution failed to establish.
“The Bill of Information as provided did not prove that this juror is prone to bias or conflict of interest,” Judge Willie said, denying the State’s request and ordering the juror to remain seated
The prosecution took exceptions to the ruling.
Trial Scheduled to Resume December 1
Following the ruling, the Court proceeded to swear in the empaneled jurors, appointing Dickson T. Yarsiah, Jr. (J30-9865) as Foreman and Audray Clinton (J30-9813) as Secretary.
The indictment was subsequently read to the jury, and the Court set Monday, December 1, 2025, at 9:15 a.m. for the continuation of the trial.
Court Summonses Bloggers for Contempt
In a surprising development at the close of Wednesday’s session, Judge Willie ordered that two bloggers, identified as Mr. Satiah A. Satiah and Benjamin Junior, be cited for Contempt of Court and appear on Friday, November 28, 2025.
One blogger allegedly wrote to the Jury Manager seeking improper favors, while the other reportedly published claims that the judge manipulated the jury selection process to favor certain political actors.
“These individuals are hereby held in contempt to come and show cause why they should not be punished,” Judge Willie ordered.
The defendants, including Fonati Koffa, Dixon Seeboe, Abu Kamara, and others, face a long list of serious charges ranging from arson to attempted murder.
The proceedings have drawn significant public attention due to the political prominence of some defendants and the gravity of the allegations.
As the trial progresses, all eyes remain on Criminal Court ‘A’ as it seeks to ensure what the judge repeatedly calls a fair, impartial, and law-driven process.
