MONROVIA – The Sixth Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court has denied the Government of Liberia’s motion to cancel a Development Grant Deed for 5.58 acres of beachfront property within the Hotel Africa compound, ordering instead a full trial on the merits.
Presiding Judge Nelson B. Chineh ruled Thursday that the government cannot summarily void a registered and probated deed held by Dr. C. Nelson Oniyama on behalf of Seaview Golf Course without presenting evidence in a plenary proceeding.
The government, through the General Services Agency and Ministry of Justice, sought cancellation of the deed, arguing it was void from the outset because former Liberia Land Authority Chairman Atty. Adams Manobah signed it without board authorization, the conveyance violated public procurement requirements, and there was no proof of payment into government revenue.
The defense maintained that Oniyama is a bona fide purchaser who obtained the deed from the statutory authority, paid consideration, and perfected his title through probate and registration at the Center for National Documents and Records Agency.
Judge Chineh denied both the government’s Motion for Cancellation and Seaview’s Motion for Judicial Review, citing Supreme Court precedent in Saleh v. Liberia Trading Company. The court held that a registered deed carries a presumption of validity that cannot be extinguished by motion alone.
The judge ordered both parties to file Pretrial Memoranda within ten days. State lawyers indicated readiness to proceed to trial, and defense counsel expressed confidence that a trial will establish compliance with all legal requirements.
The ruling marks the first judicial check on the Boakai administration’s land recovery campaign and reaffirms that registered title holders are entitled to due process under Article 20(a) of the 1986 Constitution.
