By: Staff Writer
The Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice has gauged defendants Hassan Fadiga, deputy director of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) liable for defaming the character of Abraham Kromah, former Director of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency and the court has asked the defendant and his brother Hussein Fadiga who were jointly argued to pay US$ 1.5 m to the plaintiff, Col. Kromah.
“Wherefore, and in view of the foregoing, Defendant Hassan Fadiga and his brother Hussein Fadiga are adjudged liable for damages for libel to pay the amount of US$1.5m general damages to Plaintiff, and punitive damages in the amount of US$100,000.00 to serve as a deterrence of their reckless, lawless, impolite and ill-mannered,” stated George W. Smith, assigned circuit Judge, Civil Law Court for Montserrado.
Prior to the judge’s ruling, plaintiff Abraham K. Kromah on February 6, 2025, filed an action of damages for libel against defendants Hassan Fadiga, and a Hussein Fadiga.
Based on Plaintiff Kromah’s complaint, a writ of summons along with his complaint was issued out of this Court, sitting in its March 2025 Term of Court, commanding the Fadiga brothers, to appear on or before March 17, 2025, at 10a.m., to answer to Plaintiff Kromah’s complaint filed against them, and that their failure to appear, judgment by default will be rendered against them; and that Defendants were further commanded by this Court to file their formal appearance and/or answers) on or before February 16, 2025, otherwise, judgment by default would be rendered against them.
Unfortunately, when the writ of summons along with Plaintiff’s complaint was served on the Defendants on February 24, 2025, the service was greeted with Defendant’s uncouth, uncivilized, crude, disrespectful and lawless behavior.
According to the Sheriff’s Returns, the Defendants told Bailiff Nancy Johnson who served the writ of summons and complaint on the Defendants, that Madam Johnson should get out of their faces and failure on her part their security officers would have Johnson beaten; and that the Defendants stated that they will not appear in this Court.
The first notice of assignment was issued for trial of the case on April 2, 2025, but same could not be served on the Defendants.
When the second notice of assignment was issued for trial on April 14, 2025, same was served on 1st defendant Hassan Fadiga who refused to receive and sign for same; while the other defendant Hussein Fadiga could not be found in order to be served. During trial on April 14, 2025, Plaintiff’s Counsel moved the Court to render judgment by default in accordance with law. Plaintiff’s motion was granted and he was allowed to prove his case.
Essentially, Plaintiff’s complaint states that he Plaintiff Kromah runs a security guard firm; that he and defendant Hassan Fadiga worked as Director-General and Deputy Director-General for Operation, respectively, of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA); that defendant Hassan Fadiga and his Twine-brother Hussein Fadiga, on a Spoon Talk Show host, through a misinformation campaign undertook to falsely accused Plaintiff Kromah of having a close relationship with notorious drugs dealer known as “Japan”; that 1st Defendant falsely accused Plaintiff of removing a CC-TV installed in drugs dealer Japan’s home to monitor his drugs dealing; that Plaintiff secretly visited Japan, a detainee of the Monrovia Central Prison; and that Plaintiff ransacked Japan’s home and stole US$200,000.00.
Plaintiff Kromah also complained that the Defendants knowingly spread these lies via media outlets and the airwaves thereby damaging his reputation; that the Defendants have spread and continue to spread these malicious lies and gossips at hatai centers, car parking stations, public gatherings, market places, tailor shops, radio stations, media outlets, social media platforms, and other places.
Plaintiff further complained that because of Defendants’ false publications about Plaintiff, Plaintiff has lost contracts including a US$2 million contract with a firm.
In support of his complaint, Plaintiff Kromah testified that Defendants decided to defame his character by knowingly and consciously making false statements about him with the hope of bringing him and his family into public disrepute; that the Defendants libelled him in both print and electronic media falsely accusing him of being a member of a drugs cartel; that the Defendants falsely accused him, Director-General Plaintiff Kromah, who is supposed to fight against drugs dealers as being in cohort with drugs dealers.
Plaintiff testified that among the institutions Defendants used as a conduit to publish these lies were the Ministry of Justice, Spoon TV Network, US Embassy, European Union Embassy and other media outlets.
Also, Plaintiff testified that Defendants falsely accused him of being in cohort with notorious drugs dealer, Japan, whom he Plaintiff had arrested leading to Japan’s conviction and jail sentence; that the defendant Hassan, then LDEA’s Deputy Director-General for Operation was not part of LDEA when Plaintiff arrested Japan. He further testified that these false lies published about him caused him financial damage, loss of contract for his security firm, mental anguish, and that his blood pressure went high.
Mr. Witness, what do you think was the motive behind Defendants’ defaming your character?” Plaintiff’s answer: “The Defendants in this case have had several disagreements with me regarding approach they brought to the LDEA. Because I have discounted and I have said to them that their style of leadership was not acceptable and as head of LDEA at the time, I was instituting sweeping changes at the LDEA, and because they came with an agenda to usurp the formation of the Director-General, they considered it as a goal setback in their goal attainment process. As a result, they chose to go on the rampage to provide falsehood and maligned my character.”
The Court’s last question to Plaintiff was: “Mr. Witness was there any actual dispute between you and the Defendants?” Plaintiff answered: “Yes. There was an altercation which was purely professional disposition from my responsibility as Director-General of the LDEA for which I rescinded an action taken by him 1st Defendant] regarding an assignment at the Robert International Airport (RIA), and his unilateral decision to take action that was inimical to the functioning of the LDEA. We almost went into physical fight at the LDEA Headquarters. Â From those occurrences he defendant went on the rampage which culminated into the barrage of attack on my person.
The allegations contained in Plaintiff’s complaint and his testimony which was corroborated by Plaintiff’s second witness Adolphus Terra Quai, are admitted as true, especially since Defendants have failed to prove the truth of their libelous statements against Plaintiff, and most especially since Plaintiff Kromah had not been found culpable of the heinous crimes attributed to him by the defendants.
Plaintiff has proved actual malice on the part of Defendants, an element required for a public figure plaintiff to prevail in a libel action against the defendants.
