Monrovia – Days following the seizure of at least seven vehicles, one of the owners of the alleged stolen vehicles has requested the court to hold the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) in contempt on grounds that the action carried out against them undermines the dignity of the justice system.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo/ [email protected]
Plantiff Sheak Brown filed a bill of Information, an application for recovery of his vehicles.
According to the Brown, the bill of information, which is in possession of FrontPageAfrica, on October 20, 2016 the court issued an order of replevy, commending the sheriff of this court to seize a take into possession and custody of numerous vehicles including Toyota Rav4, Mercedes Benz-GL450, Dodge Truck/Ram15900, Jeep Wrangler, AUDIQ5-Cyl, Mecedez Benz-Class, Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Brown said that in pursuant of the court’s order, the sheriff served the order of replevy on LRA through one of its legal counsels, Atty. Jimmy Bombo, who signed for and received copy, but informed the bailiffs that he would bring to the attention of the management of the LRA.
“That on September 19, 2016, Madam Cecelia Dixon-McGill, senior collector /CBOF of LRA wrote a letter to Samuel Brisbane, Corporate Security Coordinator & PFSP, safety and security should deliver the vehicles,” the plaintiff said.
Brown said that it was false and misleading that the LRA claims that the seized vehicles were in the custody of the Liberia National Police.
The complainant further said that prior to the filing of the action to recover the vehicles, a complaint was filed to the Liberia National Police through the office of the Deputy Inspector General for Operation Col. Abraham Kromah, who attempted to investigate the complaint but didn’t go further.
“Wherefore in view of the forgoing, informant prays your honor to order clerk to issue writ of summon to be served on the respondents to appear before this honorable court on the date and time to be set by this court to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court for disobeying the order of the court and thereafter attach respondents in contempt of court for disobeying the order of this court and compel such respondent to produce the vehicles, subject to replevy,” Brown said through his lawyers.
Last week, the LRA revealed that they intercepted and confiscated seven vehicles that were stolen from the United States of America and imported to Liberia.
The LRA said the Anti-Smuggling and Intelligence Section (ASIS) working in collaboration with the Liberian Police and the US Embassy in Monrovia, seized the vehicles at the Freeport of Monrovia on Thursday, October 13, 2016, when the vehicles were being offloaded from the containers.
“The stolen vehicles were falsely declared by the consignee, Sheak K. Brown Building Material, Inc., with one being claimed by one Sam Ford Bass. One container had four vehicles but only three were declared. The second container was discovered through extensive data mining in ASYCUDA notwithstanding, internal collaboration,” LRA said in a statement.
LRA said the seizure of the vehicles followed a request by the US embassy who wrote the Liberian government through the Foreign Ministry, seeking assistance for the immediate transfer of the stolen vehicles back to the United States.
“In a diplomatic note, the embassy said the United States of America had had a history of vehicles being stolen and transported to Liberia and other West African countries.
LRA legally collects revenue and is under legal obligation to promote fair trade, consistent with its mandate and in keeping with the International Convention on Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters.
Commissioner Elfreda Tamba said the LRA remained committed and would not be perturbed in executing its mandate for the national good for people of Liberia.