Published: October 24, 2025
GANTA, NIMBA COUNTY – The 8th Judicial Circuit Court in Sanniquillie, Nimba County has ordered the management of Banjak Frozen Food Inc. to pay in damages, the amount of Thirty Thousand United States Dollars (USD$30,000.00) to a local Businessman, Junior in Bahn, Zoe-Geh District, Nimba County.
The company, Banjak Frozen Food, Inc. entered into a-twenty-five-year Lease Agreement with businessman Gaye in 2014. Banjak Frozen Food Inc., as part of its obligations has paid for five years of the twenty-five years.
According to the lease agreement, Banjak Frozen Food Inc. agreed to build a flattop building on a parcel of land belonging to businessman Gaye to house a cold storage facility to be operated by the company for the twenty-years contract period. In the agreement, the upper part of the flattop building was to be used by the businessman Gaye.
However, according to Gaye, the company failed to meet up with requirements enshrined in the lease agreement. According to him, the company constructed a substandard building far below the standard of the one agreed upon in the agreement without his notifying him.
Apart from constructing a substandard structure, businessman Gaye also accused the company of building a septic tank outside of the land space captured in the agreement; thereby endangering the lives of community members who live adjacent his property. All efforts to have the company correct the wrongs, according to Gaye proved fruitless as the company proved unwilling to adhere to terms with the lease agreement.
In an effort to make the company account for its action, businessman Gaye in February, 2025 filed a lawsuit against the Banjak Frozen Food Inc. with the 8th Judicial Circuit Court in Sanniquillie pleading with the court to make the company account for its action against him.
Eight months after the lawsuit, the Presiding Judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court, Pape Suah, on October 23 ruled in favor of businessman, Junior Abu Gaye and ordered the company to pay the amount of Thirty Thousand United States Dollars for breaching the contract between it and Gaye.
In his ruling, Judge Pape Suah stated that his judgement was based on careful consideration of facts and evidence and witnesses’ testimonies before the court.
Though the defendants, failed to appear before the court, Judge Suah stated that “Default Judgement” is applicable in an instance where a defendant fails to appear and wherein the complainant has proven his/her case against the defendant by a preponderance of evidence.
According to Judge Suah, the court’s judgement is in accordance with Chapter 42, Subchapter 42.1 of the Civil Procedure Law of Liberia which states, “if a defendant has failed to appear, plead, or proceed to trial, the plaintiff may seek a default judgment.”
The Resident Judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court, in his ruling ordered the Clerk of court to prepare the necessary Bill of Cost to be taxed and directed to the management of Banjak Frozen Food Inc. to pay the amount of Thirty Thousand United States Dollars in general damages to its Landlord, Junior Abu Gaye.
Discussion about this post