MONROVIA — Proceedings in the Capitol Building arson trial took a tense turn Tuesday as Chief Investigator Rafeal Wilson of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Crime Services Department continued testimony under forceful cross-examination, exposing apparent weaknesses in both the fire investigation and the state’s reliance on audio evidence.
Under questioning from defense lawyers, Wilson was asked to identify an international fire expert said to have assisted the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) during the investigation. Wilson told the court he could not remember the expert’s name, a response that drew visible concern from the bench and cast doubt on the prosecution’s handling of expert assistance.
Defense counsel sought to establish what conclusions, if any, the expert reached during the investigation. The prosecution objected, arguing that Wilson was not qualified to testify on expert opinions and that the state would present the expert as the best evidence. Judge Roosevelt Willie sustained the objection.
The exchange intensified when prosecutors urged the court to prevent the defense from referencing an international fire expert’s report. Defense lawyers countered that the report directly challenges the credibility of the LNFS investigation, citing numerous misstatements, factual inaccuracies, and conclusions inconsistent with accepted fire-scene investigative methods and modern fire science.
Portions of the report read in court described the LNFS report as lacking basic investigative detail. It noted the absence of information on responding personnel and a failure to document actions taken at the fire scene, including fire suppression and investigative activities. Given the scale of the Capitol fire, the report stated, the LNFS should have produced a thorough account, but “unfortunately, this is not the case.”
Defense lawyer Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson told the court the report further concluded that the Liberia National Fire Service lacked the training, experience, and equipment required to properly collect, preserve, and store evidence. It also faulted the Liberia National Police for inadequate documentation of personnel deployment and investigative conduct at the scene.
Prosecutors accused the defense of introducing “strange practices” into the proceedings, an assertion the defense rejected, insisting that cross-examination is meant to test evidence and reveal the truth.
The focus later shifted to an audio recording allegedly implicating defendant Dixon Seboe. Defense counsel challenged Wilson on how investigators concluded that the voice on the recording belonged to Seboe. Wilson conceded he is not a voice expert and admitted the recording does not clearly identify the speaker as Dixon Seboe, noting that the individual referred to himself only as “Seboe.”
Wilson testified that the National Security Agency (NSA) provided technical support in obtaining and reviewing the audio. He said investigators repeatedly listened to the recording and concluded it implicated Seboe. Defense lawyers, however, pointed to the absence of a forensic voice analysis report and the failure to produce a qualified voice expert to support that conclusion.
“You have told this court you are not a voice expert,” defense counsel argued. “On what basis did you determine the voice belongs to Dixon Seboe?”
Wilson responded that a voice expert would be called to testify and explain the analysis.
Defense counsel also questioned Wilson about his interrogation of Seboe. According to Wilson, Seboe denied any role in the alleged arson, stating he learned of the fire only after waking up and later went to the Capitol Building after other government officials had already arrived.
Wilson confirmed that Seboe’s statement was given voluntarily, without coercion, and that his investigative report reflects Seboe’s denial of involvement.
As the trial continues, the court is expected to further examine the reliability of the fire investigation, the use of expert evidence, and the probative value of the audio recording central to the prosecution’s case.
