Monrovia – The Six Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court of Montserrado, at the Temple of Justice, has, with immediate effect, lifted the preliminary injunction issued on all activities of the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA).
By: Christopher C.Walker [email protected] 0777898224/0886723075
On November 23, 2023, the Court issued a preliminary injunction on all activities of the Basketball Association based on a complaint filed by Jacobs Kabakole, a candidate in the November 2023 LBA election. The court made this decision because Mr. Kabakole contested the 2023 election result, expressing dissatisfaction with the claim that there were more voters than eligible voters. Despite counting 51 votes, he asserted that only 49 eligible voters were present to cast their ballots.
After spending over three years in deadlock over court proceedings following a controversial 2019 election on September 23, 2023, the LBA reinstated Rufus Anderson with a six-week window to conduct elections in line with a mandate from FIBA Africa dated November 20, 2019, after the controversial elective congress.
However, on Thursday, November 30, 2023, Basketball stalwart Jake Kabakole, who ran for the just-ended elections as president against Abraham Samukai, filed a writ of prohibition on all basketball activities across the country. The writ has placed a halt on all basketball activities in Liberia until the court’s hearing scheduled for December 18, 2023.
The Secretary-General of the Liberia Basketball Association, Calvin Diggs, wrote to basketball stakeholders, informing them about the latest development in basketball. Despite this, following a motion to vacate the injunction, the court ordered the lifting of the injunction with all rights prior to the issuance of the writ of preliminary injunction being restored.
The Order to vacate Preliminary Injunction, under the signature of the Clerk of Court of the Civil Law court in Montserrado County, reads: “BY DIRECTIVE OF HER HONOR GOLDA A. BONAH-ELLIOTT, ASSIGNED CIRCUIT JUDGE, SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, CIVIL LAW COURT, MONTSERRADO COUNTY, REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA, THE SHERIFF OF THIS COURT IS HEREBY ORDERED TO VACATE THE PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ISSUED OUT ON NOVEMBER 23, 2023, AGAINST THE RESPONDENTS, RESTRAINING AND ENJOINING THE SAID RESPONDENTS FROM CARRYING OUT ANY FUNCTION IN THE ABOVE ENTITLED CAUSE OF ACTION. THE AFORESAID INJUNCTION IS NOW ORDERED VACATED AND LIFTED. YOU ARE FURTHER COMMANDED TO MAKE YOUR OFFICIAL RETURNS ENDORSED ON THE BACK OF THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THIS ORDER TO VACATE THE PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AS TO THE MANNER AND FORM OF ITS SERVICE.”
Following the news of the lifting of the Injunction, the LBA issued a statement to officially inform basketball stakeholders that they have won the legal battle. The LBA Treasurer, Malcolm Joseph, wrote in the Sports Writers Association of Liberia chatroom, “The temporary injunction placed on the LBA on November 23, 2023, has been lifted as of today, December 11, 2023.” He expressed delight at the development and thanked God and the hardworking leadership for ensuring that basketball can resume.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, LBA General Secretary Calvin Diggs described the lifting of the injunction as an enabling move for the organization to carry out its operations freely on the national and international levels. “We have access now to journalists because we were restricted from speaking to the press as well as carrying out administrative functions for days while the injunction was placed on us,” said Mr. Diggs.