The Debt Court of Montserrado County has issued a contempt order against the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) and its top officials, summoning Managing Director Mohammed Sheriff and other senior officials before the bench in a nearly decade-old debt dispute that has now escalated into a national security standoff.
At the center is a US$415,327.08 judgment debt owed to ELTEL Network Liberia, the local branch of Swedish engineering giant ELTEL Networks. The firm sued LEC in June 2024 over unpaid bills for electrical equipment and technical services provided to the state-owned utility. Two years later, the case is still ongoing and now escalating.
Court: LEC “Misled” Bench on Payments
The contempt order arises from what the Court described as “misleading” conduct by LEC after it failed to complete a court-ordered partial payment.
In February 2026, the Court allowed LEC to settle the debt in installments after Solicitor General Cllr. Augustine Fayiah argued that freezing LEC’s bank accounts would “cripple its operations” and endanger public safety. Fayiah told the bench that “criminal activities of all types… thrive in darkness,” framing uninterrupted electricity as a national security interest.
Persuaded, the Court lifted a garnishment on LEC’s accounts and ordered the utility to pay 25% of the judgment — US$103,750.00 — by February 28, 2026. The remaining 75%, or US$311,577.08, was to be covered under a Stipulation Agreement once the initial tranche cleared.
But LEC missed the mark. On March 3, it issued a check for US$51,915.89 — just 12.5% of the total debt. Two days later, ELTEL filed a Motion for Enforcement of Judgment.
Court records show LEC later paid a total of US$50,000 toward the initial 25% and pledged to remit the outstanding US$53,950.00 by May 30, 2026, before signing the Stipulation Agreement. That deadline came and went.
LEC then requested another extension to June 8, 2026. When it failed again, its legal team pleaded for one more month, saying the extra time would “put management in a better position to pay.”
ELTEL objected, calling it a violation of the June 8 deadline. The Court, citing “security implications tied to the services provided by LEC,” partially sided with the utility but cut the request from one month to three weeks.
That three-week window has now expired. With the US$53,950.00 balance still unpaid, the Court issued the contempt order.
The order names LEC as an entity and specifically lists Managing Director Mohammed Sheriff among the senior officials required to appear. They must explain why the corporation should not be held in contempt and subjected to sanctions, which could include fines, asset seizure, or other coercive measures until the Court’s order is satisfied.
A hearing date is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
This isn’t the first time the judiciary has carved out special treatment for LEC. In a March 2026 ruling, after LEC failed to appear at a scheduled hearing, the Court nonetheless sided with the utility.
“This Court says that because of the importance of the service LEC provides, the Court cannot enforce its judgment against it as it normally does to other judgment debtors,” the ruling read. It echoed the Solicitor General’s position that “Light/Current is a national security interest.”
That decision allowed LEC to proceed with installments despite paying only half of its first 25% commitment. To date, US$363,411.19 of the original US$415,327.08 judgment remains unpaid.
The case dates to contracts under which ELTEL supplied equipment and technical services to LEC. After years of litigation, the Debt Court entered judgment for ELTEL on December 18, 2025. When LEC didn’t pay, ELTEL moved for garnishment, prompting the February 13 conference that produced the installment plan.
The contempt order now raises fresh questions about LEC’s cash position and its ability to meet obligations to critical suppliers. The utility has been under pressure to expand grid access and improve reliability across Monrovia, while also battling theft, infrastructure decay, and mounting arrears.
Neither ELTEL Network nor LEC has issued a public statement on the latest contempt order. LEC also failed to appear at the March 12 hearing and has not disclosed when it will submit a full payment schedule for the remaining balance.
If found in contempt, Sheriff and other LEC executives could face personal fines or other penalties, though judges often use contempt as leverage to compel payment rather than punish. The Court has so far balanced debt enforcement against what it sees as the public’s interest in keeping the lights on.
ELTEL has not said whether it will appeal the Court’s earlier decision to allow installments. For now, the Swedish firm is still waiting on the remaining US$53,950.00 just to clear the first quarter of what it’s owed — on a debt that began almost ten years ago.
