Monrovia — What allegedly began as a failed US$3,700 business transaction has now spiralled into a criminal prosecution before the Monrovia City Court, with the proprietor of SSM Business Center on 12th Street, Sinkor, and others facing allegations of Simple Assault, Criminal Conspiracy, Theft of Property and Felonious Restraint.
According to a Writ of Arrest issued by the Monrovia City Court on Thursday, July 2, the criminal complaint stems from a commercial dispute between private prosecutrix Patience Beweh and the businessman identified in court records only as "Sam," pending further identification.
Court documents alleged, that in April 2026, the businessman supplied Ms. Beweh with "Big Daddy" beverages valued at approximately US$3,700 to sell.
The complaint claims that after customers allegedly returned several damaged products and demanded refunds, Ms. Beweh reimbursed some buyers from her own resources while seeking repayment from the supplier.
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The writ alleged that repeated efforts to recover the money proved unsuccessful because the businessman allegedly avoided her.
The dispute reportedly reached a dramatic turning point on July 2, when Ms. Beweh allegedly went to the businessman's compound to demand reimbursement.
According to the writ, instead of receiving payment, the complaint alleged, that she was ordered removed from the premises by security personnel acting on the businessman's instructions.
According to the sworn complaint, she was allegedly dragged, beaten and sustained bruises to her left foot, while her minor child was also allegedly manhandled during the confrontation.
The complaint further alleged that the businessman refused to refund the disputed money and prohibited her from approaching his property.
Those allegations prompted prosecutors to seek criminal charges of Simple Assault, Criminal Conspiracy, Theft of Property and Felonious Restraint, offenses which the writ says violate Sections 14.21, 10.2, 15.51 and 14.51 of Liberia's Penal Law.
The Monrovia City Court subsequently issued a Writ of Arrest directing court officers to arrest the accused and bring them before the court to answer the allegations.
The accusations contained in the complaint have not been proven in court, and the accused has not publicly responded to the allegations. Under Liberian law, every accused person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case adds another chapter to growing public concern over business disputes in Liberia that allegedly escalate beyond commercial disagreements into criminal allegations involving violence, intimidation and the use of private security personnel.
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While courts have handled several labor and commercial disputes involving business operators over the years, legal experts say disagreements over money should be resolved through lawful judicial processes rather than alleged force or coercion.
The Monrovia City Court is expected to begin proceedings to determine whether the prosecution can substantiate the allegations outlined in the complaint.
