A local judge has ordered the arrest and sale of assets of Liberia's Internal Affairs Minister, Mr. Francis Nyumalin, for defaulting to settle his US85,000 debt obligation to Ecobank, a sub-regional bank.

Judge James E. Jones, Resident Judge of the Montserrado County Debt Court, issued the Writ of Execution on Wednesday, September 11, after a ruling into an action of debt brought against Mr. Nyumalin by Ecobank, represented by its Managing Director Mr. George Mensah Asante, went against him (Nyumalin).

Before his recent appointment to serve in the Boakai administration, Mr. Nyumalin was a member of Parliament from Lofa County. At that time, it is believed he may have borrowed money from the bank to fund his failed re-election bid.

In his directive to the Bailiff, Mr. Emmanuel C. Bowen, acting Sheriff of the Debt Court, the judge instructed that all the minister's assets be seized and exposed for sale.

The judge added that if the sum realized from the sales is not sufficient, all real properties belonging to the minister should be put up for sale until US85,141.13 is raised.

The mandate further said that if the bailiff cannot find the assets of the said defendants, he is hereby further commanded to arrest the minister and bring him before any court of competent jurisdiction to pay or show properties to seize or expose for sale in accordance with 1LCLR, page 235, Section 44.39. of Liberian law.

Judge Jones also ruled that Minister Nyumalin covers the expense of Ecobank, the cost of court in addition to the US85K while indicating that he makes his official return to the writ of execution. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah