Gracious Ride was on Monday, April 8 rendered hopeless when Associate Justice Yussif Kaba declined to place a permanent stay order on President Joseph Boakai's Assets Recovery Taskforce's action to confiscate several vehicles belonging to the company.
During a conference between Gracious Ride and the Taskforce, Justice Kaba declined to grant the company's request and instead advised the Taskforce to proceed with their actions in accordance with the law.
Justice Kaba's decision was influenced by a letter from the Taskforce indicating that there may have been legal errors in the initial confiscation of Gracious Ride's vehicles.
In a letter dated April 8 and addressed to the Justice in Chamber, the Taskforce alluded to a legal error during the confiscation of Gracious Ride vehicles, but said the team reserved the right under the law to proceed with a legal investigation.
The Taskforce letter further argued that its action was not deliberate to disenfranchise the petitioner, but the same was done to investigate the allegations of suspicion surrounding the acquisition of the vehicles.
The Taskforce maintained that their actions were part of an investigation into suspicious asset acquisitions, as mandated by Executive Order #126 issued by President Boakai.
"We maintain that the investigation of suspicious assets falls within the mandates of Executive Order#126, which was announced by His Excellency Joseph Boakai, president of the Republic of Liberia."
In deciding the case on Monday, Justice Kaba, in a one-page document, wrote, "Yussif D. Kaba, Associate Justice presiding in Chambers, and Justice has declined to issue the writ prayed for by the petitioner, reserving the rights considering the attached communication from the respondent, you are hereby informed that the respondent to proceed in keeping with the law."
Prior to this decision, Justice Kaba had temporarily suspended the Taskforce's operations and instructed them to return the seized vehicles to Gracious Ride. The company's purported manager, Francis T. Blama, claimed ownership of the vehicles seized by the Taskforce, raising questions about his legal authority to represent the company without proper authorization.
Before the communication, Justice Kaba had placed a temporary suspension on the working of the Taskforce pending his first conference on April 1. Kaba also mandated the Taskforce to return all the vehicles seized during its operations, particularly Gracious Ride.
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He instructed the Gracious Ride to provide ownership title of several of its vehicles impounded by the Taskforce within a five-day period which expired last Friday with the submission of photos and copies of documents setting up Monday's conference.
Following the seizure of the company's vehicles by the Assets Recovery Task Force, a claim was made by the company's purported manager, Francis T. Blama, that he owns the seized vehicles. However, Blama's legal authority to represent the company in the matter was questioned by the Supreme Court, highlighting potential discrepancies in the lawsuit filed by Blama without proper authorization.
The company's vehicles, predominantly taxis, were recently seized by President Boakai's Assets Recovery Task Force on grounds that they were acquired through fraudulent means by a former top government official, pointing fingers at President George Weah's Chief of Protocol, Madam Finda Bundoo.
However, the company's manager argued that the task force was in error over the ownership of the vehicles, as he's the actual owner of the company.
The seizure of Gracious Ride's vehicles was linked to allegations of fraudulent acquisition involving a former government official, Madam Finda Bundoo, former President George Weah's Chief of Protocol-though Blama has contested the Taskforce's claims, asserting his ownership of the company and the vehicles in question.
As the high court decision emboldens the Taskforce, ordering it to go ahead with its operations and from all indications, it appears like Gracious Ride could just be the first major prey of the marauding Assets Recovery Taskforce.
