Monrovia — The Supreme Court of Liberia has dismissed a long-running complaint against Labour Minister Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., clearing him of allegations that he violated professional and ethical rules in his dealings with the Mano River Agricultural Rehabilitation Development Corporation (MARDCO).
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh
The ruling, handed down by the Supreme Court’s Full Bench during its March Term 2026, brings an end to a legal dispute dating back to 2014.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Labour and signed by Acting Director of Communications and Public Affairs E. Frederick Baye, the complaint was filed by Edgar Sydney, Chief Executive Officer of MARDCO, against the Henries Law Firm, which was then headed by Kruah.
Sydney had accused Kruah of an ethical breach arising from legal services provided by the law firm to MARDCO. Kruah consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that monies received in connection with the matter were handled in the course of his professional responsibilities.
The Ministry said the Judicial Ethics and Grievance Committee previously investigated the complaint and found insufficient grounds to sustain the allegations. Sydney subsequently sought review by the Supreme Court.
In its opinion and ruling dated August 27, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the findings of the Grievance and Ethics Committee, concluding that there was insufficient evidence to establish that Kruah had violated professional conduct rules governing the handling of client funds.
The Court acknowledged that monies connected to execution proceedings had passed through Kruah’s hands, but noted that he maintained the funds were either delivered to the complainant or represented payments associated with legal representation.
The Court stated that there was “no sufficient evidentiary basis” to conclude that Kruah violated Rule 15, which prohibits attorneys from commingling client funds with personal funds or using client funds for personal benefit.
The Supreme Court further clarified that a dispute between an attorney and client over monies collected, legal fees or the adequacy of an accounting does not, by itself, establish conversion, misappropriation, commingling or personal use of client funds.
“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing,” the Court concluded, “the complaint is hereby dismissed.”
The Clerk of Court was ordered to notify the parties, with the ruling formally entered by the Full Bench.
The Labour Ministry welcomed the decision as a vindication of Kruah, who, throughout the proceedings, maintained that the allegations were unfounded and that his actions were undertaken in fulfillment of his professional obligations.
The Ministry also linked the case to what it described as a sustained campaign by political detractors against Kruah, particularly during the early period of the Boakai-Koung administration, when he was reportedly considered for appointment as Minister of Justice.
Kruah currently serves as Minister of Labour and is National Chairman of the Movement for Democracy and Reconciliation (MDR), a political organization founded by the late Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson.
The Supreme Court’s dismissal formally closes the ethical complaint that has remained unresolved for more than a decade.
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