Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson T. Koijee, and Edwin D. Johnson, Coordinator of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) at the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), are facing potential contempt charges due to their failure to pay a debt owed to Auto Spare Services, a business located on Randall Street.
By Willie N. Tokpah / 0777039231
A court document from the Debt Court, obtained by FrontPageAfrica, reveals that the total outstanding amount owed to Auto Spare Services for services rendered is US$165,986.20. The MCC was required to pay 25% of this amount, which comes to US$41,250.
However, the MCC has yet to make this payment as mandated by the court’s order. This non-payment has prompted Auto Spare Services, the plaintiff in this case, to file a complaint with the court, seeking contempt charges against Mayor Koijee and Coordinator Johnson for negligence and their refusal to settle the debt.
According to the Debt Court of Montserrado, the presiding Clerk, Marcathy A. Hne, Jr., issued an Action of Debt against the defendants, Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee and Coordinator Edwin D. Johnson. The court ordered both defendants to appear before the court during its January Term, A.D. 2023, specifically on February 8, 2023, for a hearing on the matter.
During the hearing, the court assigned the Account Clerk of the Debt Court, Joyce D. W. Sumoyah, to work with both parties to reconcile the disputed amount and report back within two weeks.
The subsequent report from the Account Clerk indicated, “After thorough examination of the court’s records and careful reconciliation of all financial documents provided by the respective parties, it has been verified that the defendants are indeed indebted to the plaintiff for the sum of US$145,602.”
Both defendants acknowledged their indebtedness to the complainant for the aforementioned amount.
However, a document bearing the signature of the Debt Court’s Clerk, Marcathy S. Hne, Jr., acting on the directive of Resident Debt Court Judge of Montserrado, James E. Jones, further directed the defendants to make an immediate payment of the money judgment rendered against them. This payment, totaling US$165,986.20, was required to be settled on or before Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
The court’s order emphasized that failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe would leave the court with no option but to grant the plaintiff’s request for a Writ of Execution.
FrontPageAfrica’s investigations have revealed that the complainant has expressed frustration with the defendants’ ongoing refusal to settle the outstanding debt. Consequently, the complainant is now seeking a contempt charge against Mayor Koijee and Coordinator Johnson, citing negligence and their continued failure to fulfill their debt obligation despite all attempts to resolve the matter amicably.