Liberia: Late Hage’s Fraudulent Deeds Case Resumes at Civil Law Court

Monrovia – The long-awaited fraudulent deeds case involving the estate of the late Millad Hage has resumed before the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice, following years of legal wrangling between Madam Oumou Sirleaf Hage, widow of the deceased, and her stepdaughter, Mrs. Nohad Hage Mensah.

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By Victoria G. Wesseh

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The case, which dates back to 2018, stems from allegations by Madam Oumou Hage that Nohad Hage Mensah fraudulently produced fake property deeds to claim ownership of real estate left behind by her late husband.

Presiding over the matter is His Honor Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh of the Civil Law Court.

Supreme Court Mandate Revives Case

The resumption of the case follows a mandate from the Supreme Court of Liberia, which acted upon a Bill of Information filed by Madam Oumou Hage. The Supreme Court’s order reversed an earlier ruling by then Judge Boimah Kontoe, who, while specially assigned to the Probate Court of Montserrado County, had awarded the properties to Nohad Hage Mensah.

According to Madam Oumou Hage, Judge Kontoe’s decision was based on “fraudulent and fabricated deeds” allegedly presented by Nohad.

Disputed Properties and Claims

The properties in dispute are located in the Red Light Community in Paynesville. Madam Oumou claims that she and her late husband purchased two and a half lots of land from John and Beatrice Dozen for herself and her children.

She further testified that one additional lot, bought from Rev. May Roberts, was intended for Nohad and the other children of the late Millad Hage.

In its opinion, the Supreme Court clarified that when titles to real property are contested on grounds of fraud in a probate case, the matter must be referred to the Civil Law Court for proper adjudication — as in the current proceedings.

Widow’s Testimony: “The Deeds Were Fake”

Taking the witness stand, Madam Oumou Hage recounted that Nohad’s claim to the properties was fraudulent because she was not present when the land was originally purchased.

“When the land was bought, Nohad was never around — it was my late husband, Millad Hage, and Mr. George Johnson who sold us the property,” she testified. “Later, Nohad went behind us and brought strange deeds claiming the same property. These deeds were already with Ecobank, which my husband had used as collateral for a loan.”

According to Madam Oumou, her late husband had used the original deeds to secure loans from Ecobank, after settling debts with LBDI and IB Bank.

“When he got the money, he went on with his project. Those were the original deeds kept with Ecobank, not the ones Nohad brought,” she emphasized.

Stepdaughter Denies Fraud Allegations

However, in her defense, Nohad Hage Mensah denied any wrongdoing and said her actions were motivated by love and protection for her daughter’s inheritance.

“All I did for this Oumou woman was to love,” she said. “The two lots that Mr. Hage bought for Oumou were left there, and he sold two other lots to my daughter’s friend, Brenice Blama.”

She further told the court that she asked her late father for the deed to keep it safe for her daughter. “I didn’t trust Oumou with the deed being around, so I got behind my father to keep it.”

Recounting her personal history, Nohad told the jury that her relationship with Oumou had long been strained. “In 1989, I noticed the relationship between Oumou and my father continued, so I decided not to fight anymore but prayed to God to send me my own husband. Hage was already married in Lebanon, but our friendship continued because of my daughter,” she said.

Court to Determine Ownership

The Civil Law Court is now tasked with determining the authentic ownership of the disputed properties and whether fraud was committed in the transfer of the deeds.

Judge Gbeneweleh has yet to set a final date for ruling as testimonies from both parties continue.