Monrovia – A jury at the Civil Law Court on Thursday found Nohad Hage Mensah — daughter of the late Lebanese businessman Millad Hage — liable for falsifying deeds belonging to her father’s estate.

The 12-member jury concluded that Nohad illegally altered property documents and wrongfully collected rental fees from tenants occupying the estate’s properties.

The verdict comes after years of legal battles stemming from a 2018 complaint filed by Oumou Sirleaf Hage, the widow of the late businessman, who accused her stepdaughter of presenting fake deeds to claim ownership of portions of the family’s properties.

Case Stemmed from Supreme Court Mandate

The trial followed a Supreme Court mandate prompted by a Bill of Information filed by Madam Hage. The widow challenged an earlier ruling by then-Probate Court Judge Boimah Kontoe, who had awarded the properties to Nohad based on deeds Oumou claimed were fraudulent.

During his tenure as Special Assigned Circuit Court Judge for the Millad Hage Estate and Curator of the Montserrado Probate Court, Judge Kontoe transferred the disputed properties to Nohad. Madam Hage insisted the judge acted based on falsified documents submitted by her stepdaughter.

Properties at the Center of the Dispute

The contested properties, located in the Red Light Community, include 2.5 lots purchased from John and Beatrice Dozen, which Oumou argues were bought specifically for her and her biological children and one lot purchased from Rev. May Roberts, which she says is the only parcel legally belonging to Nohad and the other children.

Court Reaffirms Procedure for Fraud Claims

In reviewing the matter, the Civil Law Court noted that under Liberian law, any dispute involving allegations of fraud in property titles arising from probate proceedings must be transferred to the Civil Division of the Circuit Court for full trial — exactly what occurred in this case.

Widow’s Testimony: “She Brought Strange Deeds”

Testifying during the trial, Madam Hage said Nohad had no connection to the initial property purchase.

She explained that when the lots were bought, Nohad was not present, and the transaction involved only her late husband and the seller, identified as George Johnson.

According to her, Nohad later “went behind” her and Johnson to obtain different deeds, which she then presented as legitimate titles.

“When Nohad brought those deeds, it was surprising. How can you be the landlord, sell land to my husband, then turn around and sell the same land to his daughter with different deeds?” Oumou testified.

She further explained that the original deeds had been submitted by her late husband to Ecobank as collateral after the bank helped him settle outstanding debts with LBDI and IB Bank.

“When they agreed on the amount he needed, Ecobank kept the deeds. He took the money and continued with his project,” she added.