CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – The internal dispute within the House of Representatives continues to escalate, with lawmakers making damning accusations against each other. The latest allegation comes from Rep. Dixon Seboe (District #16, Montserrado County), who has accused Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah of masterminding the ongoing leadership crisis in the House to exert control over its finances for personal gain.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Appearing on OK FM’s Morning Rush show, Rep. Seboe alleged that Fallah, who has been a dominant figure in the Legislature for nearly two decades, felt sidelined under Speaker J. Fonati Koffa’s leadership and therefore led efforts to unseat him.
“I think fundamentally, it is about who divides the cake. There are people in this country who feel they own the Legislature—if they are not the ones at the table, nothing should happen. And so, people like the Deputy Speaker, who thinks he must always be the giant in the room, believe that if things are not going their way, then there is a problem. He is the fundamental problem at the Capitol,” Seboe said.
He added, “He thought he should have been Speaker. Now that he isn’t, it means he cannot decide who chairs which committee. And if he is not the deciding factor, then it means the things he wants to do will not be done.”
Fallah’s Role in the Leadership Crisis
Deputy Speaker Fallah has been at the center of the leadership crisis within the House of Representatives. As the longest-serving member of the House (19 years), he wields significant influence. His decision to break away from Speaker Koffa’s leadership reportedly strengthened the Majority Bloc, which staged what some lawmakers have described as a “legislative mutiny.”
Following his defection, Fallah presided over sittings of the Majority Bloc, where they overturned all committee assignments made by Speaker Koffa and, with the assistant of Rep. Richard Koon, reconstituted new committees. Notably, Fallah removed Rep. Seboe as Chair of the “powerful” Ways, Means, and Finance Committee, replacing him with Rep. P. Mike Jury (District #1, Maryland County). The Rules, Order, and Administration Committee, previously chaired by Rep. Marvin Cole (District #3, Bong), was also reassigned to Rep. James Kolleh (District #2, Bong).
During these controversial sittings, the Majority Bloc also elected Rep. Richard Koon as the new Speaker. However, the Minority Bloc, led by Koffa and his allies, challenged the legitimacy of these actions and took the matter to the Supreme Court. The court ruled that any actions taken outside the constitutional framework were ultra vires (beyond legal authority).
Allegations of Budget Manipulation
Rep. Seboe further accused Fallah of having a history of financial mismanagement and budget manipulation. He claimed that their fallout began when Fallah allegedly advised him to withhold information about a US$900,000 special disbursement to lawmakers for extra sittings.
“Normally, the Executive pays us extra whenever we are recalled. Fallah was prepared for us to tell our colleagues that we were not going to be paid, but he told me to tell them there was no money,” Seboe alleged. “This is the cause of the fight at the Capitol Building—people want to steal and eat people’s money.”
Past Accusations Against Fallah
This is not the first time Fallah has faced allegations of corruption. Last year, Speaker Koffa accused a group of lawmakers of operating as a “cartel” that manipulated the national budget for personal enrichment.
“This same cartel will carry the budget to Boulevard Palace Hotel, Room 1026, to adjust all the numbers,” Koffa alleged at the time. “The reason behind their attempts to remove me is my persistent refusal to allow lawmakers to steal from the government’s coffers.”
Similarly, in 2019, reports emerged that members of the House were collecting signatures to remove Fallah and then-Rep. Jeremiah Koung [ow Vice President] as Chair and Co-Chair of the Ways, Means, and Finance Committee over allegations of embezzling funds meant for extra sittings. According to OK FM, lawmakers were angered by Fallah and Koung’s alleged refusal to distribute a US$9,000 allowance per member for the extra sessions.
Ongoing Power Struggle in the House
The leadership crisis within the House remains unresolved, with lawmakers divided into rival factions. Rep. Seboe noted that members have failed to resolve their differences internally and accused the Majority Bloc of acting outside the law.
“It is pathetic that for six months, we have been unable to resolve this situation on Capitol Hill. Our colleagues keep saying ‘politics is about numbers,’ and I agree 100%—but politics is also about laws and frameworks. We have consistently said that since the law was not followed in removing the Speaker, we will not recognize their leadership,” Seboe said.
He added that the Rule of Law Caucus, boycotted the Majority Bloc’s recent retreat because they considered all its actions illegitimate.
“As long as the fundamental legal process has not been followed, we will not be part of them. We don’t need 25 or 30 people—we just need a few people who stand for the law.”
Fallah Yet to Respond
Deputy Speaker Fallah has yet to respond to these latest allegations. However, given the deepening divisions within the House, his response could further fuel the already tense standoff.
The situation remains tense, with both factions digging in as the power struggle at the Capitol continues.