The Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Richard Nagbe Koon, has issued a threatening statement against anyone recording the House’s proceedings.
Meanwhile, Tuesday’s sitting of the House sparked into a fury title of happenings that led to the removal of former speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and others.
Upon noticing the presence of journalists, Koon issued a chilling warning threatening to jail any reporter(s) recording on their fury tile of how former Speaker Koffa was removed.
Koon’s startling threat comes on the back of ongoing struggle for press freedom in the country, raising concerns among advocates, and members of the media.
All this began following the called to order by Acting Sergeant-at-Arms, regardless of the lack of quorum, which uphold every activity in the chambers legal.
Amazingly, as lawmakers engaged in their fury titles of discussions in the chambers, Speaker Koon shouted publicly, thereby threatening Legislative Reporters, who dare to record or report on the fury titles of former Speaker Koffa’s removal.
The fury titles contained laughter of how monies were spent leaving the coffers of the House now empty.
While Koon boastfully stated: “I told you all, whether you go up or down, I was going to be the speaker.”
Noticing the attention of Legislative journalists, Koon shouted: “if any Legislative Reporter assigned to the House of Representatives takes information from these chambers, I will deal with you and we will jail you.”
Koon’s declaration stands in opposition to the Kamara A. Kamara (KAK) Act of Press Freedom, which was enacted during former President George Weah’s administration.
The KAK Act of Press Freedom, signed into law in 2019, is a significant piece of legislation, because it decriminalized certain speech offenses, and helped move Liberia toward greater press freedom.
The Act amended Chapter 11 of the 1978 Penal Law by repealing criminal libel against the President, sedition, and criminal malevolence.
This change ended the practice of prosecuting speech offenses in criminal court, and shifted libel and slander offenses to civil court.
Prior to the KAK Act, journalists and political opponents in Liberia could be intimidated and punished through the threat of criminal prosecution for libel, sedition, and criminal malevolence.
The law eliminated these criminal penalties, allowing for a more open and less punitive environment for free expression.
The Act aligns Liberia’s laws more closely with international and regional human rights standards, including those of the Table Mountain Declaration.
By protecting free speech and an independent press, the law reinforces core tenets of democracy and accountability.
The law provides greater latitude for the media to practice responsible journalism without the threat of imprisonment. It encourages a vibrant media landscape that can hold government officials and powerful figures accountable for their actions.
With the Act, media-related offenses such as libel and slander are now handled in civil courts, where the focus is on civil redress rather than criminal punishment. This provides a legal mechanism for addressing reputational harm without using the criminal justice system to silence criticism.
The Act is named after the late Kamara Abdullai Kamara, a former President of the Press Union of Liberia, in recognition of his tireless work in advocating for press freedom and human rights.
In February 2025, at the height of the removal of former Speaker Koffa, Speaker Koon while instructing state security to drill the handle of controversial Yekeh Kolubah’s car and remove it from the Speaker’s designated parking space, instructed security forces to assault journalists attempting to document his actions.
Koon assumed the role of Speaker after being elected through a white ballot by a faction of representatives who identify as the “Majority Bloc.” Despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring this group’s session as illegitimate, yet Koon continues to serve as Speaker, with strong support from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Source: The Independent Probe newspaper