Monrovia – The Supreme Court of Liberia has suspended Counselor Samuel Pearson from practicing law for a period of six months over allegations of unethical conduct related to the administration of his late mother’s estate.
By Victoria G. Wesseh
The court also ordered Cllr. Pearson to restitute the sum of US$93,369 and L$6,235,353.41, funds he allegedly withdrew using a purported Letters of Administration from the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI). These accounts belonged to his deceased mother, Madam Mamie Hayford Pearson, and were part of her intestate estate. On June 23, 2022, he further instructed the banks to close the accounts.
The decision by the Supreme Court follows findings by the Grievance and Ethics Committee (GEC), which held Cllr. Pearson liable for violating ethical standards of legal practice.
Background of the Complaint
The complaint originated from Mr. Ballah Yargbo, the only biological son of Madam Mamie Hayford Pearson. He alleged that following his mother’s death, her estate—which included real and personal property as well as significant savings—was mismanaged by J. Henric Pearson, the surviving spouse, in collaboration with Cllr. Samuel Pearson, who is also his nephew.
According to Mr. Yargbo, he became suspicious about the handling of his mother’s estate after obtaining his own Letters of Administration from the Monthly and Probate Court for Montserrado County on May 23, 2023. This led him to discover that Cllr. Pearson had previously acquired Letters of Administration on May 9, 2022, without his knowledge or consent, and had already begun administering the estate.
Mr. Yargbo claimed that Cllr. Pearson used the document to withdraw US$45,000 from his mother’s UBA account before closing it. He also alleged that on July 27, 2022, Cllr. Pearson persuaded both him and his stepfather to sign a Limited Power of Attorney, authorizing him to access funds from his mother’s LBDI accounts.
Using this authority, Cllr. Pearson allegedly withdrew an additional US$48,369.25, L$849,519.91, and L$5,385,833.50, bringing the total withdrawals to US$93,369 and L$6,235,353.41.
Mr. Yargbo contended that of these funds, he only received US$10,000 and L$1.5 million, which Cllr. Pearson claimed had been authorized by his stepfather. However, this disclosure was only made after Mr. Yargbo had obtained formal administrative rights over his mother’s estate.
Supreme Court’s Ruling
In its ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized the duty of lawyers to uphold integrity and transparency in matters involving the administration of estates and client trust. The Court found that Cllr. Pearson acted without proper authority and failed to provide full disclosure to the rightful heir of the estate.
The Court mandated that Cllr. Pearson must repay the misappropriated funds as part of the disciplinary action, and barred him from practicing law for six months effective immediately.
