–Plaintiff Alleges Repeated False Criminal Accusations Caused Reputational, Financial, Professional, and Emotional Harm
MONROVIA, Liberia — Stephanie Audrey Kpoto has filed a civil action before the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court, seeking US$500,000 in compensatory and general damages from Martin K.N. Kollie over alleged defamatory statements published about her on Facebook.
According to the complaint, Kpoto alleges that Kollie repeatedly published what she describes as false accusations portraying her as being involved in serious criminal activities, including drug-related offenses.
The plaintiff alleges that Kollie acted with “actual malice,” claiming that he either knew the accusations were false or published them with reckless disregard for whether they were true.
Plaintiff Alleges Repeated and Malicious Publications
Kpoto alleges that the defendant repeatedly presented the accusations as established facts rather than allegations and continued publishing them even after she disputed the claims and indicated that she was considering legal action.
According to the complaint, Kollie allegedly called for Kpoto’s arrest and imprisonment, urged INTERPOL to take action against her, and advocated for the seizure of her property.
She further alleges that some of the Facebook publications encouraged followers to locate, capture, and circulate her social-media content while calling on authorities to take action against her.
Kpoto claims that the publications were viewed by individuals in Liberia and abroad and were understood to refer specifically to her.
Alleged Damage to Reputation and Business
The plaintiff alleges that the publications caused significant damage to her personal, professional, and business reputation.
According to her complaint, some individuals and organizations allegedly became suspicious of her activities, investigated her, avoided her, or otherwise distanced themselves from her as a result of the accusations.
Kpoto further claims that the alleged harm extended beyond social media, saying she experienced questioning, heightened scrutiny, embarrassment, and suspicion while traveling internationally because of the drug-related allegations.
She alleges that she suffered visa denials or unfavorable visa decisions, canceled meetings, disrupted professional engagements, lost contracts and prospective business opportunities, and damage to existing and potential commercial relationships.
Claims Emotional and Psychological Harm
In addition to the alleged financial and professional consequences, Kpoto claims she suffered significant emotional and psychological distress.
The complaint cites anxiety, fear, sleeplessness, shame, mental anguish, emotional distress, and loss of peace of mind among the alleged consequences of the publications.
She also alleges that she has been repeatedly forced to respond to criminal accusations before family members, colleagues, clients, government officials, and international business partners.
Kpoto maintains that the alleged injury remains ongoing because the Facebook publications continue to be searchable, shareable, reproducible, and accessible to a broad audience.
She specifically identifies clients, immigration authorities, financial institutions, professional partners, and members of the general public among those who could potentially encounter the alleged publications.
Constitutional and Legal Grounds
The complaint invokes Article 15 of the Liberian Constitution, arguing that while freedom of expression is constitutionally protected, individuals remain accountable for abuses of that freedom.
Kpoto also relies on Article 15(e), which recognizes judicial proceedings involving defamation and invasion of privacy or publicity rights as lawful means of addressing abusive expression.
Based on those constitutional protections, the plaintiff argues that the alleged publications satisfy the recognized elements of a defamation claim, including a defamatory factual statement, identification of the person concerned, publication to a third party, applicable fault, falsity where required, and resulting injury.
She further argues that Liberian law permits the recovery of damages for financial losses as well as humiliation, embarrassment, mental anguish, and emotional distress when those injuries are sufficiently established and connected to the alleged wrongdoing.
Kpoto Seeks US$500,000
Kpoto is seeking an aggregate award of US$500,000, consisting of compensatory and general damages.
According to the complaint, the amount is intended to compensate her for the alleged damage to her reputation, business and professional interests, emotional well-being, and travel and immigration prospects.
The plaintiff states that the precise value of alleged canceled contracts, lost profits, prospective business opportunities, and visa-related expenses will be further particularized as the case progresses.
Case Remains Before the Civil Law Court
The allegations contained in Kpoto’s complaint have yet to be proven in court. The filing of the lawsuit does not constitute a judicial finding that the statements attributed to Kollie were defamatory or that Kpoto suffered the damages claimed.
Kollie will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations and present any defenses or evidence he may have before the court.
The case will ultimately require the court to determine whether the challenged publications meet the legal requirements for defamation and, if so, whether Kpoto has established the damages she is seeking.
For now, the US$500,000 claim remains a demand by the plaintiff, with the factual allegations and legal arguments subject to judicial review.
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