Hussein Fadiga, one of the prominent Fadiga brothers, has been arrested and remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison, commonly known as South Beach, after failing to comply with a court order in a high-stakes defamation case filed by former Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Director, Col. Abraham Kromah.
Fadiga’s arrest comes on the heels of a prolonged legal battle that began after the Fadiga brothers accused Col. Kromah of stealing $200,000 and removing CCTV equipment during a DEA raid on the home of convicted drug trafficker George “Japan” Obi. Kromah denied the allegations and filed a libel lawsuit, initially demanding $5 million in damages.
On May 6, the Civil Law Court ruled in Kromah’s favor, awarding him $1.5 million and finding the Fadiga brothers liable for defamation. The court later dismissed an appeal filed by the defendants after they failed to “perfect” it in accordance with Chapter 24, Sections 24.1 and 24.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
Despite the ruling, the brothers reportedly refused to pay the damages. Last week, the court issued a travel ban to prevent them from fleeing the country. Hussein’s arrest marks the latest enforcement measure by the judiciary aimed at compelling compliance with the judgment.
Col. Kromah has welcomed the court’s actions as a necessary stand against false accusations and the misuse of public platforms to defame individuals. “This is not just about me. It’s about protecting the truth and holding people accountable for reckless speech,” Kromah said in a recent interview.
As of press time, it remains unclear whether law enforcement authorities are actively pursuing the arrest of the other defendant in the case, Hassan Fadiga.
The case has sparked widespread public attention and debate, with many viewing it as a test of Liberia’s commitment to upholding legal accountability in the age of social media and unregulated public commentary.
