Liberian lawmaker says he accepted $15,000 of a promised $25,000 to back removing the House Speaker, saying he did so to expose the scheme
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What happened
In a live Facebook video on October 17, 2024, Representative Luther S. Collins of Gbarpolu County District #2 displayed US$15,000 in cash and said it was the first installment of a US$25,000 payment offered to lawmakers to support removing then-Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. Collins said he pretended to join the plot to expose it, and named Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah and Vice President Jeremiah Koung as its organizers; those allegations are his. The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) summoned lawmakers over the allegations. In 2025 the House, now led by Speaker Richard Koon, authorized nine lawmakers to appear before the LACC; critics questioned whether the probe would be genuine. No findings have been reported in the sources reviewed.
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- Smart News Liberia
Collins alleged that he and other lawmakers received bribes of US$25,000 each
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Response
Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
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