After years of legal battles among members of the Hage family, the Civil Law Court Annex has set aside a unanimous jury verdict that found Respondent Nohad M. Hage liable for fraud, ordering a new trial in the interest of justice.
Presiding Judge Peter Gbeneweleh ruled on Thursday, November 27, 2025, that the Objectors Oumou Sirleaf Hage, Bashir Millard Hage, and Racquel Milad Hage failed to produce clear and convincing evidence to prove their allegations that Nohad Hage committed fraud in relation to three contested properties.
Judge Gbeneweleh said the jury’s unanimous verdict was contrary to the weight of the evidence, noting that the evidence against the Respondent was insufficient and could not reasonably support a finding of liability. “Mere allegations are not proof,” the judge stated, emphasizing that the law requires fraud to be established by evidence that is clear and convincing.
In his ruling, Judge Gbeneweleh pointed out key failures by the Objectors to rebut or disprove the claims made by Respondent Nohad Hage failures which, under Liberian law, amount to admissions. Among the unchallenged assertions are claims that the Objectors used the Arkio deed in a previous case without proving its authenticity.
It was Oumou, not the late Millard R. Hage, who took out loans from IB Bank and LBDI Bank using deeds in dispute. The surveyor’s signature and stamp were missing from the Arkio deed. Oumou used deeds containing Nohad’s name as collateral without authorization. Nohad’s signature was allegedly forged on a lease agreement. Two of Nohad’s lots were sold without her knowledge to Bernice Blama, who resold them to Liberty Christian Church. Ecobank produced a deed naming Nohad as a co-owner, contradicting the Objectors’ claims. Witness Beatrice Dossen, who cannot read or write, denied signing the deeds that the Objectors relied upon.
The court further noted that the Objectors failed to present evidence showing they had legal authority or guardianship to use Respondent’s deeds for mortgages and leases.
Judge Gbeneweleh ruled that Respondent Nohad Hage established a prima facie case, supported by testimony that her late father, Millard R. Hage, purchased and held deeds for her benefit. The judge said the evidence presented materially undermined the Objectors’ allegation that Nohad held fraudulent titles. The judge dismissed arguments that the Respondent benefited from a loan secured by deeds bearing her name, noting that no evidence, not even from the bank, proved she had knowledge of or consented to such transactions.
Quoting Section 26.4 of the Liberian Civil Procedure Law, Judge Gbeneweleh explained that a court may set aside a jury verdict when it is contrary to the weight of the evidence or where doing so serves the interest of justice. “The verdict returned by the empaneled jury on November 13, 2023, is hereby set aside, and a new trial is ordered,” the judge declared.
The case stems from a September 5, 2022 mandate of the Supreme Court directing the Special Probate Court to certify a fraud-in-title dispute to the Civil Law Court. The dispute concerns three properties for which both sides presented competing deeds: a property acquired from John B. Akoi, a property acquired from John J. Dossen, and a property acquired from Mai B. Roberts.
With the jury verdict now vacated, the matter will return to court for a fresh trial to determine ownership and resolve allegations of fraud.
