By G. Watson Richards
The Civil Law Court for the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Montserrado County has ordered the attachment and garnishment of assets belonging to Mr. Saye D. Gbalazeh in the amount of US$134,000, according to court records.
The orders arise from an ongoing legal dispute involving ACTIVA International Insurance Company Liberia, which has petitioned the court to cancel a contested sub-lease agreement and recover funds allegedly obtained under the arrangement.
Court Moves to Preserve Assets
According to the court, the measures are intended to safeguard assets pending the final determination of the case.
In its directive, the court ordered that:
“Attachment and Garnishment Orders be issued against the assets of Mr. Saye D. Gbalazeh… in the amount of One Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand United States Dollars (US$134,000).”
The court further instructed several commercial banks to restrict access to any funds linked to Mr. Gbalazeh to ensure that sufficient assets remain available to satisfy any eventual judgment.
Allegations of Self-Dealing
In its petition, ACTIVA alleges that Mr. Gbalazeh engaged in self-dealing while serving as Managing Director of the company.
According to the filing:
“Mr. Saye D. Gbalazeh… deceptively induced the company and entered into a sub-lease agreement with himself as Lessor and ACTIVA as Lessee.”
The company claims that, under this arrangement, Mr. Gbalazeh received approximately US$134,000.
ACTIVA is asking the court to cancel the disputed sub-lease agreement and compel Mr. Gbalazeh to refund the full amount allegedly obtained.
Flight Risk Prompts Urgent Action
Court filings indicate that the company sought urgent judicial intervention after receiving information suggesting that Mr. Gbalazeh may be preparing to leave Liberia.
In response, the Civil Law Court granted a writ of attachment and issued garnishment orders directed at multiple financial institutions, including Ecobank Liberia, UBA Liberia, GT Bank Liberia, LBDI, SIB Bank Liberia, and Bloom Bank Liberia.
The institutions have been ordered to:
“set aside about One Hundred and Thirty Four Thousand United States Dollars (US$134,000)… to ensure that there is money available to satisfy judgment, should the Court rule in favor of ACTIVA.”
Possible Criminal Investigation
Separately, reports indicate that the Liberia National Police has launched an investigation into the matter.
Authorities are examining whether the alleged conduct could give rise to criminal charges.
Case Ongoing
The matter remains pending before the Civil Law Court, with no final ruling yet issued on the merits of the case.
Legal analysts note that attachment and garnishment are provisional remedies designed to prevent the dissipation of assets while litigation is ongoing—particularly in cases involving allegations of financial misconduct and breach of fiduciary duty.
Further developments are expected as both civil proceedings and potential criminal inquiries continue.
