House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon did not go unnoticed for what appeared to be an anti-media quest at the 55th National Legislature, when he recently threatened to jail journalists assigned at the Capitol Building.
The outburst of such threat was said to be occasioned by a secretly recorded audio from Tuesday, November 25, 2025 12th Day Sitting of the 3rd Quarter of the 2nd Session of the House of Representatives.
The audio is said to have revealed discussions by Speaker Koon and some colleagues in Chamber on session day, when the leadership lacked a quorum to conduct legislative business that day due to the absence of a record number of lawmakers at the Legislature.
Public criticisms swiftly bombarded the Speaker for his reported threat against accredited journalists at the Legislature, who deserve courtesy in chambers to report on legislative activities without intimidation or threats of any kind.
One of such stern criticisms came from the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA). Through its President Joey Kennedy, the Association described the threat as being hostile and deeply troubling for a democratic society.
ALJA emphatically noted that the media is not an enemy to the state, it is an essential partner in democracy, stressing that any attempt, verbal or otherwise, to threaten journalists is an affront to the rule of law and the democratic values Liberia continues to nurture.
Like on other voices, ALJA called on Speaker Koon to retract his threatening remarks against journalists and issue unambiguous public apology to the journalists, who were targeted, as well as to the broader Liberian media community.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, 27th November of the same week, Regime House Speaker Koon apologized and admitted the embarrassment the comment he made has caused him, clarifying that his remark was not intentional, nor was it meant to undermine the work of the press.
“My comment was not intentional, but a practical joke intended to bring those reporters closer to me. Therefore, I will do nothing to stall or hinder their reportage,” he assured.
Though Speaker Koon has finally apologized for his reported threat against legislative reporters, critics have sensed the development as a replica of the tendency of a Unity Party-led government, making reference to Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s 12 years’ regime, when she described Liberian journalists as “checkbook journalists.”
Madam Sirleaf was also noted for describing critics of her regime as a “noisy minority,” even though she was once an outstanding critic of past regimes, when she was in the very political struggle to occupy the nation’s highest seat.
Meantime, the development of the Koon-journalists’ standoff has come at a time the Legislature is under constitutional mandate to fast track public hearing process on Liberia’s draft national budget being submitted to the Legislature for scrutiny and subsequent passage into law.
The draft national budget that is in the tone of over one billion United States Dollars is said to be the first of its kind in the country’s history. Yet, it is being marred by uncertainty and skepticism, given the country’s shamble economy.
There are reports from the Legislature’s inner circle that the draft national budget submitted by the Executive Branch of government is “unrealistic” to achieve because the sources of receiving such huge money are likely to fall short in terms of revenue generation; especially when Liberia’s fiscal budget is revenue-based.
Speaker Koon, Legislative Reporters