MONROVIA, August 29, 2025 – The National Elections Commission (NEC), chaired by Madam Davidetta Browne Lansanah, faces mounting legal pressure after being accused of defying a final judgment of the Commercial Court of Liberia in a debt case.
In a petition filed this week, Cllr. Arthur Johnson, representing M-Tosh Prints, Inc., alleged that the NEC has shown “continued and willful failure” to comply with the court’s ruling despite the issuance and service of a writ of execution. The ruling declared the Commission a judgment debtor in the amount of US$171,105.00 plus legal costs and interest.
According to Johnson, the NEC has “refused and neglected” to satisfy the judgment, calling the alleged refusal a “blatant defiance of the authority of the judiciary and a direct affront to the rule of law.”
“This defiance not only undermines the authority and dignity of the Court but also violates the principles of due process and the enforcement of final judicial determinations under Liberian law,” the petition stated.
The filing requests the Commercial Court to issue a Writ of Garnishment against the NEC, targeting: All operational and salary accounts of the Commission. Funds held at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. Deposits at commercial banks and mobile money platforms. Any other financial institutions operating on the Commission’s behalf.
If granted, the writ would require those institutions to withhold NEC funds and remit them directly to the Court Sheriff for settlement of the debt.
The petition has reignited concerns about transparency and accountability at the NEC, already under scrutiny ahead of the next electoral cycle. Critics argue that failure to honor a lawful judgment could further erode public trust in the Commission’s ability to conduct elections impartially and within the rule of law.
The Commercial Court has not yet set a date for hearing the matter.
