5 Mins Read
ADNews-Monrovia, Liberia: The Intestate Estate of the Late John Francis Marshall has accused National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairman Jonathan Weedor of undermining a final judgment of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court concerning ownership of the property currently occupied by the NEC headquarters.
By Contributing Writer
The Estate alleges that Chairman Weedor has deliberately sought to frustrate the enforcement of the court’s ruling despite an earlier directive from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai ordering compliance with the judgment.
According to the estate’s legal representative, Cllr. Samuel S. Pearson, the dispute stems from a final judgment issued on February 25, 2026, by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court, presided over by Judge J. Boima Kontoe.
In its ruling, the court declared that the property housing the NEC headquarters lawfully belongs to the Intestate Estate of the Late John Francis Marshall. The court further ordered the Government of Liberia to negotiate with the Estate under the constitutional expropriation provisions contained in Article 24(a) of the 1986 Constitution.
Following the judgment, the Government commissioned Treaty Trackers Incorporated, an independent appraisal firm, to determine the fair market value of the property after a survey was conducted by the Liberia Land Authority under the directive of the Civil Law Court.
The appraisal reportedly placed the value of the property at US$3,080,482. Based on the valuation, the Civil Law Court subsequently issued payment orders on June 8, 2026, and July 1, 2026, directing that the assessed amount be paid to the Marshall Estate.
According to the Estate, copies of the payment orders were served on the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, the Minister of Justice, the Legal Advisor to the President, and the National Elections Commission.
The Estate further claimed that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, on May 22, 2026, wrote the Minister of Finance and Development Planning instructing him to comply with the court’s order by facilitating payment to the Estate.
“Accordingly, you are hereby authorized and instructed to honor the payment of US$3,080,482.00 to the Sheriff of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Capt. Humphrey P. Seequeh, in compliance with the Court’s mandate. This action will ensure constitutional obligations and safeguard the integrity of the judicial process,” President Boakai stated in his communication to Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan.
Despite these developments, the Estate alleges that NEC Chairman Jonathan Weedor has publicly challenged the court’s decision.
In a press statement issued on July 14, 2026, Chairman Weedor denied that any final judgment existed ordering the eviction of the National Elections Commission from the property.
The NEC Chairman reportedly described media reports concerning the matter as speculative and misleading while maintaining that the property has belonged to the Commission since 1960.
The Estate further alleged that, in an attempt to undermine the court’s ruling and disregard the President’s directive, Chairman Weedor later convened a meeting with NEC staff during which he encouraged employees to remain calm and assured them that he would use every means available to prevent the enforcement of the court’s judgment, including the payment ordered to the Marshall Estate.
According to the Estate, Chairman Weedor acknowledged during the meeting that the Marshall Estate owns the property but argued that the late John Francis Marshall had waived ownership of the property to the Government of Liberia.
The Estate maintains that such statements constitute a misrepresentation of the court’s records and amount to an obstruction of the court’s judgment.
Through its legal counsel, Cllr. Samuel S. Pearson, the Estate has filed a Bill of Information before the Civil Law Court, informing the court that both its payment orders and the President’s directive remain unexecuted.
The filing also accuses Chairman Weedor of misrepresenting the court’s ruling and seeks to have him cited for contempt for allegedly obstructing the enforcement of the court’s mandate.
Additionally, the Bill of Information requests the eviction of the National Elections Commission from the property, arguing that the Government continues to occupy the premises without satisfying the constitutional requirement of paying just compensation under Article 24(a) of the 1986 Constitution.
The Civil Law Court has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Those expected to appear include NEC Chairman Jonathan Weedor, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, the Minister of Justice, and the Legal Advisor to the President.
The outcome of the hearing is expected to determine the next phase of the legal dispute over one of the country’s most prominent public properties while also addressing the Government’s compliance with the court’s judgment and its constitutional obligations.
This version preserves the original structure and allegations, improves grammar and readability, and follows the formal news-writing style commonly used by Liberian newspapers.
Comments are closed.