By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Al Hussein Fadiga has been arrested and remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison following a court-ordered enforcement of a libel judgment filed by former Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Director Abraham Kromah, who is seeking US$1.5 million in damages.
The arrest and subsequent incarceration took place on Monday, June 23, 2025. The libel case involved both Al Hussein and his brother Hassan Fadiga, though Hassan remains at large. The court’s action stems from the brothers’ failure to comply with a judgment issued by the Civil Law Court, which awarded Kromah US$1.5 million in general damages for defamation.
In a landmark ruling, Presiding Judge George W. Smith found that the Fadiga brothers made defamatory statements against Kromah with “reckless disregard for the truth.” In addition to general damages, the court awarded $100,000 in punitive damages, intended to serve as a deterrent against similar defamatory conduct in the future.
The case originated from a February 6, 2025, complaint filed by Kromah, alleging that false and malicious statements made by the Fadiga brothers severely harmed his reputation both personally and professionally. These statements, reportedly circulated widely via social media and other platforms, triggered public backlash and disrupted Kromah’s business engagements.
According to court documents, the Civil Law Court issued a summons on March 17, requiring both defendants to respond. However, they failed to appear or file a defense, prompting a default judgment in favor of the plaintiff.
Kromah had initially sought $5 million in total damages, including special damages for lost business opportunities. However, the court held that he did not provide sufficient legal evidence to support those specific losses under Liberian civil procedure. Consequently, the final award was limited to general and punitive damages.
Legal observers called the ruling a significant precedent for defamation law in Liberia, particularly in a time when social media amplifies the spread, and consequences, of misinformation.
Abraham Kromah, once a controversial yet high-profile figure in Liberia’s law enforcement community, has largely kept a low profile since departing the LDEA. This case, however, has brought him back into the public spotlight, this time with vindication.
The judgment, if enforced, may go down as one of the largest libel awards in Liberian legal history, signaling a bold stance by the judiciary against reputational harm in the digital age.
