The release was ordered by Assigned Circuit Judge George W. Smith of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court.
Monrovia – The Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice on Monday ordered the immediate release of Hussein Fadiga from the Monrovia Central Prison, just hours after he was detained in connection with a US$1.6 million libel judgment in favor of former Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Director Abraham K. Kromah.
By Selma Lomax & Willie N. Tokpah
The release was ordered by Assigned Circuit Judge George W. Smith of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court. “You are hereby commanded to release from your legal custody the living body of the above-named defendant, (Hussein Fadiga), who was placed in your custody on Monday, June 23, 2025,” the court directive stated.
Earlier that day, Fadiga had been arrested after weeks of evading court summons. On June 6, the court ruled that he and his brother, Hassan Fadiga, were liable for libel against Kromah and ordered them to pay US$1.5 million in general damages and US$100,000 in punitive damages.
“You are commanded to receive into your legal custody the living body of the defendant Hussein Fadiga to be held until such time that the said defendant will have satisfied the judgment of the court. And it is hereby so ordered,” Judge Smith previously instructed the court sheriff.
Despite that order, the Civil Law Court released Fadiga the same day, with court officials confirming that the release was executed according to legal protocols. The directive was signed by Clerk of Court Randolph B. Sneh and executed by the Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison.
The swift release drew scrutiny, particularly in light of the court’s prior condemnation of the Fadigas’ conduct as “reckless, lawless, impolite and ill-mannered.”
The libel case stems from a February 2025 complaint filed by Kromah, who accused the Fadiga brothers of falsely alleging on the Spoon Talk Show that he was linked to a notorious drug dealer known as “Japan.”
Kromah testified that the brothers accused him of removing surveillance cameras from the dealer’s home, stealing US$200,000, and visiting the inmate secretly at the Monrovia Central Prison.
“The Defendants in this case have had several disagreements with me regarding the approach they brought to the LDEA,” Kromah told the court. “Because I discounted and said to them that their style of leadership was not acceptable… they chose to go on the rampage to provide falsehood and maligned my character.”
He also stated: “There was an altercation which was purely professional… I rescinded an action taken by [Hassan] regarding an assignment at the RIA. We almost went into a physical fight at the LDEA Headquarters. From those occurrences, he went on the rampage which culminated into the barrage of attack on my person.”
The court granted a default judgment after both defendants failed to appear, and allegations of contempt were filed when court officers reported being threatened during attempts to serve summons.
Shortly after his release, Hussein Fadiga accused Kromah of issuing death threats and attempting to intimidate him within and outside the courthouse. In a statement posted on social media late Monday, Fadiga alleged that Kromah reacted angrily to his release and confronted him at the Civil Law Court.
“Reliable information suggests he spent the entire day attempting to influence proceedings to ensure I would be jailed,” Fadiga wrote. “When that effort failed, he became visibly enraged and verbally assaulted me in the presence of court officials.”
Fadiga claimed that Kromah told him he “would not survive in this town.” He added that court staff advised him to remain indoors until Kromah had departed.
According to Fadiga, the confrontation continued after he left the court premises. He alleged that Kromah followed his vehicle through the streets of Monrovia to a restaurant where Fadiga was scheduled to meet his lawyer.
“In a disturbing escalation,” Fadiga stated, “he attempted to instigate a physical altercation and reached for his firearm after realizing the situation was not unfolding in his favor.”
Fadiga confirmed that his legal team has reported the incident to the Liberia National Police and other relevant authorities. As of press time, there had been no public response from Kromah or confirmation from police regarding an investigation.
