-- For Alleged Wrongful Withholding of Vehicle
The Civil Law Court "Annex" for Montserrado County has issued a summons for Col. Gregory Coleman, Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP), over allegations that he unlawfully withheld a 2013 Ford Edge SUV belonging to plaintiff Ruth Hena Varfley.
According to the summons, Col. Coleman and co-defendants, Officer Rufus Smith and Robert Vah, must appear before Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh today (Monday, March 23, 2026). Failure to do so could result in a default judgment against them.
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The lawsuit stems from a January 2026 incident in which Varfley says she received a call from Samuel G. Ford, son-in-law of Erickson Vah and head of Community Policing at the LNP. Ford informed her that a complaint had been filed against her concerning her vehicle and instructed her to report to LNP Headquarters with the SUV.
Upon her arrival, Varfley says Ford seized the vehicle key, confiscated the car, and pressured her to turn it over to co-defendant Robert Vah, who had accused her of stealing her own vehicle. Feeling intimidated, Varfley contacted her lawyer, Cllr. Lawrence Suah. Suah texted Ford, accusing him of intimidating his client and violating her constitutional right to property ownership.
Following the lawyer's message, Ford forwarded the case to the relevant LNP section for investigation. Throughout the process, Varfley was represented by legal counsel. During the investigation, defendant Robert Vah reportedly denied signing the hand-to-hand bill of sale.
Police then requested documents bearing his signature for verification, which Varfley provided. Vah was asked to appear for a signature audit but allegedly refused, neglected, and failed to comply.
While awaiting the results of the audit, Varfley says she received a call from Orange GSM number 0776250738, believed to be assigned to LNP officer Larry Brown. He allegedly informed her that Inspector General Coleman had ordered the vehicle released to co-defendant Vah. The SUV was subsequently turned over to him.
Her legal team later confirmed that Coleman had issued the instruction and that officer Rufus Smith carried out the handover, effectively denying her access to the vehicle she claims is rightfully hers.
Varfley says the defendants have unlawfully held the vehicle since January 28, 2026, causing her embarrassment and financial hardship -- including spending US$75 per day on rental cars. She is seeking recovery of the chattel through a Writ of Replevin.
She argues that the defendants' actions amount to an abuse of power and unlawful self-help, taken without any court order authorizing the seizure. She is therefore requesting that the Court compel the release and return of her vehicle.
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According to Varfley, the SUV was among several vehicles shipped to her from Canada by her fiancé, Erickson Vah, who provided her with the shipment tracking details. She says co-defendant Robert Vah offloaded the vehicles upon arrival in Liberia, including US$500 intended for vehicle registration.
When she attempted to retrieve the money, Robert insisted on accompanying her to the Ministry of Transport -- a request she refused. She says Robert then falsely informed his brother, her fiancé, that she had taken another man with her to register the vehicle. This allegedly led to the termination of her relationship.
Despite this, she completed the registration herself, had the bill of sale notarized by Robert, and received a Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate in her name, establishing her as the legal owner.
