Monrovia – “The complainants are ordered ousted, ejected and evicted from the premises subject of the proceedings.” Justice Sie-A-Nyene YuoH.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo/ [email protected]
The Congress of Democratic Change (CDC) has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay its landlord US$50,000 in rental.
The court’s decision came after the case was heard at the Probate Court and the Civil Law Court that found the CDC guilty upon which an appeal was filed by the opposition political party through Chairman Nathaniel McGill.
According to the court’s judgment the testate estate of William Thomas Bernard and the CDC failed and neglected to produce witnesses to testify and did not prove the element of fraud with respect to the records and ruling of the monthly and Probate Court for Montserrado County.
The CDC had argued that it had been paying its rental to the Bernard family but the court said the party should have paid it to Ebrima Varney Dempster, the legitimate administrator of the property of the late Martha Stubblefield Bernard.
In her opinion, Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh said that the exercise of her right to purchase the dwelling premises fenced in was also legal in keeping with Section 4.2 (1) (2)(4) of the Descendant Estates Law.
The court said that the suspect did not establish proof of damage to the property to warrant the award of US$500,000.00, neither did they prove that the complainant withholding the premises amounted to USD$1000, 000.00.
However, the Associate Justice said that there is evidence that the complainant withheld the premises in questions from the Varney as manifested by the presence of tenants on the premises, “therefore, we hereby award the amount of US$50,000 for illegal withholding of the property.”
Additionally, the high court said that the final ruling entered by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, Montserrado County in favor of the suspect is confirmed and affirmed.
Justice Yuoh said: “The complainants are ordered ousted, ejected and evicted from the premises subject of the proceedings.”
The case grew from the intestate estate of Martha Stubblefield Bernard, by and thru its administrator Ebrima Varney Dempster of the City of Monrovia versus the testate estate of William Thomas Bernard Sr, represented by its executor Archibald Bernard, William Bernard, Nancy Freddy Bernard Freeman, Murray Bernard, Leona Bernard and the Congress for Democratic Change represented by its Acting Chairman Nathaniel McGill of Monrovia.