—-As Over 200 Liberian Employees Weep over controversial Hotel Closure
IPNEWS: Once more, Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay is embroiled in the controversial closure of the colony Hotel and other private Liberian Businesses located on the complex.
On Monday, October 13, 2025, while the Supreme court was in session for its October term of court, officers of the Labor Court under the command of Judge Joseph B. Kollie, ordered the closure and locking of the colony Hotel, including other Business on the Hotel complex over a ‘writ of Execution’ in a case involving former owners of the Palm Spring Hotel Najib Kamand, versus a Chinses National Identified as Ding Shu Jun AKA Nancy Chinese Lady.
The writ of Execution’’ directed Bailiff Ruth C. Sumo, Acting Sheriff, Debt Court of Montserrado County, “ You are hereby commanded to seize and expose for sale the Assets and interest of Mr. Najib Kamand of the City of Monrovia, Liberia Defendant in these proceedings and if the sum realized there from be not sufficient , then seize his properties until he shall have raised the amount if US$156,000.00 (One Hundred fisty six Thousand United States dollars), and if you cannot find assets of the said defendant , you are hereby commanded to seize his properties or arrest his living body and forthwith bring him before any judge of competent jurisdiction to be dealt with according to law unless he shall pay the money or show properties to seize and expose for sale in according with 1LCLR, page 235- section 33.39.
“And upon receiving from said defendant otherwise, said sum of money, you are hereby further commanded to pay over to the plaintiff herein the sum of money necessary to satisfy the judgement and reserve unto yourself the cost of court and expenses. Further, you will also make your official returns endorsed on the back if this writ of execution as to the form and manner of service. “
Interestingly, Mr. Najib Kamand no longer holds the lease of the property and is nowhere to be found following the cancellation of his lease agreement with the family of the late Cllr. Lawrence Morgan in March 2020.
It may be recalled, the property’s lease with Palm Springs ended in March 2020. Then in September 2020, the new owners, Colony Incorporated (a Liberian group), leased it directly from the property owners. Colony Inc’s owner is a Liberian who returned home and, along with her uncle, invested in the property, which had grown dilapidated over the years, renovated it, and reopened Colony Hotel in 2023.
Without notifying Colony Hotel, the Debt Court served closure papers on the property in July 2024, claiming it was attached to a debt case involving Palm Springs Hotel. Colony Inc. immediately filed a Bill of Information—basically a legal notice—to prove they were not part of Palm Spring and not liable for its debts. But despite filing this in July 2024, their case was not assigned to a judge for almost a year, leaving the hotel in legal limbo.
In June 2025, Colony Inc filed a Writ of Mandamus to the Supreme Court. Associate Justice Clinton-Johnson who is also the wife of the plaintiff’s most recent Counsel Cllr. Lavala K. Johnson heard the case and ordered that Colony’s Bill of Information be heard and that Judge Jones rule according to the law.
After hearing the case and reviewing the documents, including the legal dissolution of the Palm Spring lease six months before Colony Inc. acquired the property, Judge James E. Jones ruled that Colony Hotel is a separate business who did not acquire Palm Spring’s assets and should not be responsible for those debts. He also ordered the hotel to operate unencumbered and commanded the court and sheriff to stop any enforcement actions against Colony Hotel related to those debts involving Mr. Najib Kamand and Ding Shu Jun AKA Nancy Chinese Lady.
The dispute centers on a $1.3 million debt judgment award to a plaintiff referred to as “Chinese Lady Nancy” the court documents are linked to Palm Spring but not connected to Colony Hotel. The court records further show that although Palm Spring had paid almost $200,000 United States Dollars towards the debt to the courts, with a commitment to pay $10,000 per month, Chinese Lady Nancy, through her alleged boyfriend “Chinese Jack” a close friend of Chief Justice Gbeisay had complained to the court that the money is too small. They allegedly asked the courts to collect $100,000 a month on their behalf, or the court close Colony. When the Debt Court verdict was rendered releasing Colony from all responsibility to the debt, neither Chinese Lady Nancy nor her alleged boyfriend “Chinese Jack” filed either an appeal or a Bill of Information asking the Supreme Court to review or overturn Debt Court Judge Jones’ decision. Ironically, the only way to obtain Supreme Court review in a civil case is for an aggrieved party to file an appeal or bill of information. The Plaintiff in this case did not file any such document.
Tensions arose when Chief Justice Gbeisay allegedly dismissed Judge James Jones from the case and instructed the presiding judge of National Labor Court His Hon. James B. Kollie, to shut down Colony Hotel within 48 hours unless $156,000 is paid. There is no record showing that Chief Justice appointed Judge Kollie as an ad hoc Debt Court judge to enforce the judgment, and all the court documents from Judge Kollie are captioned in the Labor Court.
Legal practitioners who have reviewed the Court documents aver that even if Judge Kollie was appointed ad hoc Debt Court Judge, he cannot review, overturn, or amend Judge Jones’ decision. Only the Supreme Court can do so. Thus, Judge Kollie was obligated to enforce the judgment only respect to the person of Najib Kamand and order the Sheriff to exclude Colony Hotel as per the Judge Jones Order.
It should be noted that Chief Justice Gbeisay’s mandate to Judge Kollie was not signed by the Clerk of the Supreme Court, but rather by his “Chief of Staff”. Another legal practitioner even confirmed that all orders emanating from the Supreme Court are signed by the Clerk of the Supreme Court, not by the judge’s administrative assistant. The action by the Chief Justice’s administrative assistant/Chief of Staff is therefore legally deficient. It means that the official records of the Court may not include the Chief Justice’s mandate.
The Chief Justice’s directive has surprised many Liberians, especially those abroad who are being encouraged to invest in the country’s economic recovery and watching what is happening to a Liberian Woman who has returned home and invested a substantial amount of money.
Unconfirmed report circulating in the courts recounts that when Chief Justice Gbeisay was an Associate Justice, he allegedly suppressed Judge James Jones from hearing Colony Hotel’s Bill of Information, which is the legal document claiming Colony Hotel is separate from Palm Spring’s debts.
Chinese Lady Nancy is said to be part of a group of Chinese nationals who enjoy protection from parts of the judiciary.
It may also be recalled that Chief Justice Gbeisay himself reportedly ordered the immediate release of another Chinese national, Michael Shio, (Chinese Jack) from prison after Mr. Shio allegedly tortured a Liberian citizen. Michael Shio is referred to as “Chinese Lawyer Michael” and allegedly also in a relationship with Chinese Lady Nancy.
Meanwhile, President Joseph Boakai, Monday, October 13, during the opening of the Supreme Court, reaffirmed his commitment to judicial reform in Liberia. Echoing his remarks, the newly installed Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay also called for reform and announced several immediate actions.
During his address at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, President Boakai emphasized the inseparability of justice and national development. He stressed that restoring public confidence in the legal system is crucial for Liberia’s progress under his administration’s ARREST Agenda.
Acknowledging public frustration over judicial delays, lack of transparency, and public mistrust, Boakai stated that these issues require “urgent, courageous, and genuine reform.”
He urged judicial officials to perform their duties with humility and integrity, reminding them that their judicial robes symbolize service, not privilege.
The president promised to provide continued government support for the judiciary, including better training, facilities, and logistics, while respecting judicial independence.
He called for stronger cooperation between the Judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, and the Liberia National Bar Association to pursue a more efficient and trusted justice system.
In a rare move reflecting what would be the start of a new era of judicial accountability, Chief Justice Gbeisay used the court opening to announce several concrete steps, inviting the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a full audit of the court’s previous administration, ordering all judges and magistrates who have not declared their assets to do so within 30 days or face administrative consequences, ordered a Civil Service Agency audit uncovered major salary disparities, “ghost workers,” and unqualified staff, prompting Gbeisay to announce that those above the retirement age would be let go by the end of the year and unveiled the Judicial Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountability Unit (JME&ACD) to monitor judicial performance and staff conduct.
In all this, pundits are unsettled whether or not Chief Justice Gbeisay is fully committed to this reshaping of the Judiciary or if it is just a smoke-screen to perpetuate the excesses so pervasive in the Judiciary.
The cardinal question remains, will Chief Justice Gbeisay fully reverse the earlier Debt Court decision protecting Colony Hotel against all sound legal principles? It is important to note that the plaintiff never filed an appeal against Judge James Jone’s ruling, and it has baffled legal practitioners that the Chief Justice is proceeding to enforce a judgement against a company that has nothing to do with the initial case. The situation is still developing. Colony Hotel bar and restaurant remain partially closed and the private businesses in the Colony Resort complex are still closed.
