Harper, Maryland County – The Debt Court in Harper, Maryland County has confiscated assets belonging to the William V.S. Tubman University as a result of default judgment rendered against the University in numerous cases by the Labor Court.
Speaking in an interview with FrontPageAfrica in Harper on Tuesday, Judge Jonah Wleh Segbeh of the Debt Court said, the court received six complaints from the Labor Court, requesting enforcement of judgments against the university.
Judge Segbeh said several default judgments were rendered against the University for failing to appear in court to answer to complaints filed against the entity by some former employees.
A default judgment is a binding judgment in favor of one of the parties to a court case for the failure of the other party to appear and answer to a complaint despite an issuance of a Writ of Summons by the court against the party.
Although it does not necessarily mean the complaint against the defaulting party is true but failure to make representation in court serves as a basis for such judgment.
According to Judge Segbeh, the Tubman University was summoned by the court but failed to file an answer.
Judge Segbeh further said that several assignments were made, served and received by the University but the failure led the Debt Court to enforce the judgment.
He maintained that upon their request for enforcement, the Debt Court made assignments for the Human Resource Director of the University, Iyee William to appear for hearing when the first assignment was made but he failed also to appear, prompting a second assignment he again did not show up.
A third assignment, the Jude said, was made for the Tubman University Human Resource Manager to appear for hearing at which time he appeared and made a request for Monday August 29, 2016 for hearing but he failed to turn up once again.
The persistent failure of the Tubman University to make court appearance, led the adverse party which include Milton Brooks, Mleh William, Wilfred Sawieh and others who were dismissed unlawfully including a man only identified as Nyanfor who, upon receiving his dismissal letter, immediately died, failing to file an application for execution as a means of enforcing the default judgment made by the Hearing Officer of the Labor Court against the Tubman University.
University to Pay over 18K
The Tubman University administration is expected to pay to the adverse parties over US$18,000 as benefits after their illegal dismissal from the institution.
Judge Segbeh disclosed that when the court sent the Writ of Arrest to the administration of the University, some employees resisted the Writ and the court had to use officers from the Liberia National Police (LNP) to arrest three of the University’s vehicles until the institution makes full payment of said amount.
In such a case, the party facing default judgment is given the period of thirty (30) days to meet up with payment and failure on their part the court will be left with no alternative but to auction these assets.
The current situation is posing serious setback to over one thousand students who are finding it difficult to commute to and from school.
Students were on Tuesday August 30, 2016 forced out of the buses en route to campus.
Meanwhile, when contacted the via mobile phone the Human Resource (HR) Manager William said despite his position as HR of Tubman University, he is not the rightful person to speak on such issue.
George K. Momo (0880303757/ [email protected])
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