Woman cries foul in US$1.7 Million property case 

 By Emmanuel wise Jipoh 

The Supreme Court of Liberia has ruled in favor of Plaintiff Augustine B. Kormah, declaring him rightful owner of a property valued at US$1.7 million situated in Thinker’s Village, Kende Town, along ELWA highway in Paynesville.

Verdict adjudicated by the Supreme Court emulating from the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice places Mr. Augustine D. Kormah, as legitimate owner of the property, rather than Miss Olivia Newton Van Dorst, a Liberian based in Belgium, who has claimed ownership of the property. 

According to Madam Olivia Newton Van Dorst, she acquired the land from the Kende Family for a sum of US$5,100 in 2010, and after constructing a three-story building worth over US$ 1 million on the property and was on the verge of completion when Mr. Augustine Kormah appeared to seek redress, claiming ownership.

According to Plaintiff Kormah, he had bought the property from the same family as far back in 2006 and has legitimate deed to the three acres of land.

Mr. Kormah said he asked Madam Van Dorst to halt construction on the land, which led to litigation that eventually gave him justice.

However, seeking redress and weeping on behalf of Madam Van Dorst, who she described as her daughter, Rev. Pastor Mamie Brown of the God’s Favor Divine Ministries located in Du-Port Road Baptist football field, Paynesville, notes that there were errors in the adjudication by the Supreme Court.

Pastor Brown explained to the New Dawn on Tuesday, 16th January 2024, in grieves that before the Civil Law Court’s ruling, the Liberia Land Authority through its Chairperson Attorney K. Adams Manobah wrote a letter of objection to a survey conducted by Mr. Samuel Darway, on several counts, but they were denied.

According to her, the LLA’s letter of objection to the court indicated how could the Plaintiff be placed in possession of the property when call for re-survey was not adhered to by the Supreme Court, which she said has deliberately ruled in favor of Mr. Augustine Kormah, putting him in possession of the three acres of Land that contain her daughter’s over $1.7 million building.

She continued that in the objection, the LLA Chairperson Adams, raised concern about how the plaintiff should be placed in possession of the property when Mr. Kormah allegedly did not provide evidence or there was no record that he was specifically instructed by the Court to take hold of the property.

Pastor Brown also noted that the LLA also objected to a survey conducted by Surveyor Samuel Darway, because Madam Van Dorst was not adequately notified to have been present through her technical representative to observe and ensure that the right thing was done.

According to her, during the trial at the Civil Law Court, there was no investigative Survey conducted to establish whether or not, Madam Van Dorst’s property was indeed the very same property that was described in the deed presented by Mr. Kormah in court.

She added that the LLA communication was intended to ensure the needed things were done some of which included, correction on the deed of Mr. Kormah’s to give a clear picture for the investigation, which was ignored by the Court that rendered judgment without the recommendations proffered by the Land Authority, and went ahead and turned the property over to Mr. Kormah.

Pastor Mamie Brown is however crying for Justice, calling on the religious community, civil society, rights groups, and the incoming government to intervene. Editing by Jonathan Browne