Monrovia – Oumou Hage, 53, has been released from the Monrovia Central Prison. She was released on Thursday, October 17 after being incarcerated for five days on the orders of the Civil Law court judge.
Her release came following a major headline story published by FrontPage Africa on Thursday, October 17 revealing how the mother of eight was jailed and was not allowed to be bailed out.
Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay of the Civil Law Court remanded Oumou at the notorious prison on contempt charges.
Oumou, widow of deceased Lebanese businessman Milad Hage, had refused to sign what has been described as a fake deed that was introduced in the case of her late husband’s estate.
Her children were concerned that her medical condition would have deteriorated while she was in prison.
But family sources of the widow told FrontPage Africa that the Judge had refused to release her although their lawyers exerted efforts in accordance with the law to bail her out.
The Hage estate has been the subject of one the longest-running legal wrangles in Liberia’s history.
Nearly eleven years after his death, the estate of the Late Milad R. Hage continues to linger in a state of uncertainty.
Oumou was legally married to Mr. Hage for 30 years and has three children for him including a boy and two girls who are all now adults.
She won the case in 2015 against a Lebanese man, Bassam Jawhary, who was claiming title to the properties.
The current case is between children of Oumou and Nohad Hage, their step sister. Nohad is claiming 90 out of 150 stores belonging to their late father.
“We are hoping that the court reopen the case to make determination, so that the property can be shared amongst the heirs and the wife,” said Requel Hage, daughter of Oumou, on Thursday after her mother was released.
In 2014, the Supreme Court of Liberia granted the petition to overturn a ruling to exclude some properties and to audit millions of United States dollars collected from the Hage estate, instructing the Monthly and Probate Court of Montserrado County to retry the matter.
While the family is still holding out hope for justice, Raquel laments that the hope is wearing thin.
“There is hope for justice but we have to stand up for our right and speak about to matter to the public so that our fellow Liberians can join hands with us and voice out all of our concerns. United we stand against the corrupt Justice system where they value money over humanity. United we stand to put this matter to an end! They must hear us,” she said.