Monrovia, Liberia — The Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, commonly known as the Civil Law Court for Montserrado County, has exonerated Ecobank Liberia Limited in a $700,000 lawsuit filed by Wilmot Smith, a former director at the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS).
Smith sued Ecobank, along with Yussif S. Kromah, a former Ecobank employee, and Alex Williams, a former LISGIS official, seeking $500,000 in general damages and $200,000 in punitive damages. He alleged that Kromah disseminated false information that damaged his reputation by providing sensitive bank statements to Williams, who was also a partner at Spoon TV. Smith claimed that Williams misrepresented the information publicly, implicating him in the unauthorized withdrawal of funds intended for census enumerators.
While acknowledging that Ecobank did not directly defame him, Smith argued that the bank was liable under the legal principle of respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for their employees' actions performed within the scope of their duties.
Ecobank's Defense
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In response, Ecobank maintained that Kromah acted outside the scope of his employment and that the bank took swift action to investigate and terminate him. The bank further argued that the account in question belonged to a government agency--not to Smith--therefore, he did not suffer any direct damages attributable to the bank's actions.
Ecobank asserted that Smith should have directed his lawsuit against Kromah and Williams, whom the bank claimed were responsible for the alleged misrepresentations. It also emphasized that it had no involvement in public discussions regarding Smith or his employment status and had no motive to damage his reputation.
Additionally, the bank stated that its internal investigation was conducted at the request of the Minister of Finance and was unrelated to Smith. It reaffirmed its commitment to upholding government transparency and financial privacy, insisting that Kromah's unauthorized actions did not implicate Ecobank as an institution.
Court Ruling
After hearing arguments from both sides, the jury ruled in favor of Ecobank, agreeing that the bank should not be held liable for Kromah's actions. However, the court found Kromah and Williams liable for defamation.
Legal observers believe the ruling provides relief to Ecobank, reinforcing its standing as one of Liberia's leading commercial banks. With 25 years of operations in the country, the Pan-African bank has established branches across Liberia and continues to play a key role in the nation's economic growth.
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