The high-profile Capitol Building arson trial took a dramatic turn on Monday when the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), acting under a court subpoena, declared several bond-related documents submitted by the defense as fake and fraudulent.
The subpoena ad testificandum, a legal order compelling witness testimony, required the LRA to verify the authenticity of documents used to secure a Criminal Appearance Bond for six co-defendants facing charges of arson and criminal conspiracy.
At the center of the dispute are two key documents: a Property Valuation Statement and a Real Property Tax Bill both submitted by the defense to validate the bond’s legitimacy.
In response to concerns raised by the prosecution over the validity of the materials, the court also issued a subpoena duces tecum, which compels the production of documents for inspection.
The LRA was ordered to bring and review the disputed materials during open court proceedings.
Taking the witness stand under oath, Mr. James Afif Jabar, Assistant Commissioner for Real Estate Tax at the LRA, delivered a damning assessment of the documents.
“These documents did not originate from our systems,” Jabar testified. “The property ID is non-existent, the tax calculations are mathematically inaccurate, and the receipts are untraceable. This is a clear case of document falsification.”
Jabar further revealed that some of the receipts submitted by the defense appear to violate Central Bank of Liberia cash payment regulations, and that the tax rates used do not match official LRA assessment standards.
He also confirmed that the LRA has no record of a US$4,500 payment allegedly made on February 27, 2025, a critical detail cited by the defense to justify the bond.
Defense Pushes Back, Alleges Procedural Ambush
The defense team reacted swiftly, accusing the prosecution of withholding evidence and ambushing them with previously undisclosed findings.
They filed a motion to strike Jabar’s testimony, arguing that the late introduction of the LRA’s findings violated due process and restricted their ability to conduct effective cross-examination.
As the legal showdown intensifies, the court is now poised to rule on the admissibility of the LRA’s testimony, a decision that could dramatically shift the direction of the trial.
Public interest in the proceedings remains high, with the alleged Capitol Building arson having stirred national outrage and reignited debates about security, political stability, and the integrity of Liberia’s justice system.
