Monrovia – Like hundreds of Liberians who fled the nation’s brutal civil wars, Jefferson Karr as soon as dreamed of returning house to rebuild his life. Years in refugee camps throughout West Africa taught him resilience, and when peace returned, he got here again decided to start out afresh.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
In 2022, Karr invested over US$90,000 to buy two gas tank vans from Europe — a Foden and a Mercedes. To him, these vans weren’t simply automobiles, however symbols of survival, hope, and financial independence.
However that dream quickly collided with the realities of Liberia’s fragile justice system.
A Enterprise Deal Gone Bitter
Strapped for money to clear the vans from Guinea, Karr turned to a enterprise acquaintance, Gabriel Sumo, who agreed to finance the clearance and transport. What started as a mortgage association, nevertheless, spiraled into betrayal.
Police experiences allege Sumo solid paperwork, changed Karr’s firm particulars together with his personal, and secretly registered each vans beneath Sumo Transport and Logistics. The automobiles had been put to work whereas Karr was left with nothing.
“I labored arduous, sacrificed every part to return again house and construct one thing. However to be denied possession of what I paid for, just because somebody with affect can manipulate the system, it breaks you,” Karr informed FrontPage Africa.
US$210 Vanishes in Court docket Motion
In search of justice, Karr filed a grievance on the Monrovia Metropolis Court docket and was ordered to pay US$210 for an impoundment motion. However regardless of cost, the vans had been by no means impounded and continued working beneath Sumo.
Annoyed, Karr turned to the Liberia Nationwide Police (LNP), which after months of investigation confirmed his possession via gross sales receipts, customs paperwork, and testimony from Guinean dealer Moussa Keita. Investigators charged Sumo with theft of property and forgery.
Police Findings vs. Court docket Ruling
Not happy with the Monrovia Metropolis Court docket’s motion, Karr instantly proceeded to the Liberia Nationwide Police (LNP) to start a full authorized course of.
The Liberia Nationwide Police, after months of investigation, confirmed Karr’s possession via gross sales receipts, customs paperwork, and testimony from Guinean dealer Moussa Keita. Investigators charged Sumo with theft of property and forgery.
The police formally charged businessman Gabriel Sumo, CEO of Sumo Transport & Logistics Firm, with theft of property and forgery in reference to the disputed possession of the 2 tank vans.
In response to police cost sheet CSD/HQ/R-5/1199-2024, a replica which is within the possession of this paper, the case stems from a grievance filed by Jefferson Karr, CEO of V. Group Liberia Restricted. Karr alleged that after buying a Foden Tank Truck and a Mercedes Tank Truck from Europe in 2022, he sought monetary assist from Sumo to clear the automobiles from Guinea.
Police investigations revealed that whereas the vans had been cleared and handed over to Karr, suspect Sumo allegedly solid possession paperwork, falsified import notification kinds, and secretly registered the automobiles in his firm’s identify with out the consent of V. Group Liberia Restricted.
Investigators confirmed that gross sales receipts, customs paperwork, and testimony from a Guinean dealer established Karr’s possession of the vans. Sumo, nevertheless, declined to offer any rebuttal proof and exercised his proper to stay silent throughout questioning on the recommendation of his lawyer, Cllr. Eugene Lamie Massaquoi.
Following its findings, police concluded that Sumo’s actions violated Chapter 15, Sections 15.51 and 15.70 (Forgery) of the Revised Penal Code of Liberia.
Police Findings vs. Court docket Ruling
But, regardless of these findings, the case took a pointy flip in court docket with the Felony Court docket ‘C’ technicalities and conflicting testimonies.
In its ruling, the Felony Court docket ‘C’ dismissed the fees, suggesting that Karr had “waived possession” of one of many vans via earlier preparations.
The ruling left Karr not solely with out his automobiles, but additionally with a deep sense of betrayal by the nation’s authorized system.
Nowhere to Flip: Karr’s household faces Unsure Future
Talking in an unique interview with FPA, Karr defined how his household now faces an unsure future attributable to poor justice system, whereby solely the very best bidders and influential few are given justice, whereas the rights of hundreds of thousands underprivileged Liberians are seized.
Because of the present unlucky scenario, he faces, the Liberian returnee in tears narrated that he can not even afford to ship his youngsters to high school, least to say, discover their each day bread.
“My brother, our scenario is so pathetic – I didn’t know that life would have landed me this manner. I really thought I used to be coming again to my nation to rebuild my life by placing the damaged items collectively. Issues aren’t simple. However I do know this isn’t the top, I’ll proceed to combat to the top. Although I don’t have the monetary energy, however one factor I do know is that our God is larger than something. I need to use this time to name the eye of human rights advocates, to affix me as I am going the additional mile to combat this battle,” he pleaded.
“It isn’t a small factor for man to not be working on this nation. I’m going via actual hell in my very own nation that, I believed would have made the distinction for me and my household – just for my rights to be stepped on just because I don’t have cash or I don’t know anybody up there. As I communicate to you, we’re in September and my youngsters are usually not even at school,” Karr, accompanied by a long-time pal from the refugee camp, added in tears.
Dashed Imaginative and prescient
Whereas in exile, Karr based the Imaginative and prescient School of Administration Research on the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana, coaching hundreds of Liberians. On his return, he hoped to copy the undertaking in Liberia.
However together with his sources seized, that dream is slipping away.
The Greater Image
Observers say Karr’s ordeal mirrors the struggles of numerous Liberian returnees who, regardless of their resilience, face systemic boundaries to rebuilding their lives. Many return with visions of reintegration solely to come across corruption, weak establishments, and a justice system critics say works for the highly effective, not the weak.
