Jonathan Fonati Koffa: Liberian speaker denies part in parliament fire

The fire occurred on Wednesday morning – a day after plans to remove Koffa from his speaker role sparked a tense protest.

Several demonstrators, including an aide to former President George Weah, were arrested during the protest.

Following the fire, which saw thick black smoke rising above the capital, Monrovia, police brought Koffa, Representative Frank Saah Foko and two others in for questioning.

Police chief Gregory Coleman referred to a Facebook post Koffa made during the protests, saying that the speaker must explain it.

After being questioned, Koffa told the BBC the fire could have broken out for any number of reasons.

“If it was arson, that would have been a horrible thing,” he said.

But he added that the part of the building damaged by the fire was old and that a contractor had previously warned officials they were “sitting on a time-bomb”.

Koffa also called for an international, “neutral” investigation into the fire.

Liberia’s House of Representatives has been beset by a power struggle, in which a faction of lawmakers claims to have removed and replaced Koffa as speaker.

Another group has resisted the action, calling it unconstitutional.

A Supreme Court ruling has failed to solve the internal dispute.