MONROVIA, Liberia – In a rare rebuke of a top security official, the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice has found Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Col. Gregory Coleman, guilty of contempt of court for failing to appear as ordered.
Presiding Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh of the Sixth Judicial Circuit (Annex Court) fined the Police Chief US$300, to be paid into government revenue within 72 hours. The judge warned that failure to pay will lead to the issuance of a writ of arrest, mandating the Sheriff to bring Col. Coleman before the court.
The court’s decision followed Coleman’s unexplained absence from a scheduled contempt hearing, despite having returned to the country the previous evening.
“Such noncompliance with a contempt proceeding is a grave affront to the authority and dignity of the court,” Judge Gbeneweleh declared in open court.
He further ordered Col. Coleman to assist the Sheriff in the immediate enforcement of the Supreme Court’s mandate, stressing that public officials are legally bound to obey and uphold judicial orders without hesitation or delay.
Police Officials Plead for Leniency
During the proceedings, Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs, Cllr. Peter K. Gbanyah, explained that he was out of the country from October 17 to 23 and could not attend key court conferences. Commissioner of Operations, Prince Davies, also told the court that communications from the IG’s office regarding the contempt hearing had not reached him in time.
Representatives of the Ministry of Justice appealed to the court to “temper justice with mercy,” pledging that the LNP would cooperate fully with the Sheriff in executing the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Background: The Keita–Kamara Land Dispute
The contempt case stems from a prolonged land dispute between the intestate estates of the late Batune Keita and Mamadee M. Kamara.
The Supreme Court of Liberia, in a ruling delivered by Justice Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie, upheld an earlier judgment by the Civil Law Court granting possession of the contested property to Mohammed Tanja Keita, administrator of the Keita estate.
The property, initially acquired by Keita’s father in 1989, had been encroached upon by Kamara’s estate, which constructed several structures—including a branch of EcoBank—on the disputed land. A 2020 survey by Samuel W. Danway Jr. confirmed the encroachment, and after years of litigation, the courts ruled in Keita’s favor.
Violent Resistance to Enforcement
On September 27, 2025, court bailiffs led by Sheriff Sieh Collins Jr. attempted to enforce the writ of possession, but were met with violent resistance from residents and tenants allegedly acting under the direction of Mateya M. Toure, administratrix of the Kamara estate.
Several bailiffs were reportedly injured, forcing the team to retreat. Following the incident, the court formally requested IG Coleman to deploy officers to assist in carrying out the Supreme Court’s mandate — a request he failed to honor.
That failure prompted the court to issue a writ of summons for contempt against him on October 23, 2025, leading to Monday’s ruling.
Court Sends a Strong Message
Judge Gbeneweleh concluded that no public official is above the law, and that delays or defiance in executing lawful court orders will not be tolerated.
“The authority of the judiciary must be respected,” he warned. “When officials fail to enforce court mandates, they undermine the rule of law itself.” The ruling marks a significant assertion of judicial independence and a cautionary precedent for government institutions reluctant to enforce judicial mandates.
