IPNEWS: The Debt Court for Montserrado County on Tuesday, June 20 ordered the arrest of the chief executive officer (CEO), Chetan Sarant of the controversial Western Cluster, an iron ore company operating in Bomi County.
The court also closed the Monrovia offices of the company on Tuesday.
Likewise, the court ordered the arrest of managing director, Nana Osei-Boadi of Citadel Mining Services and Construction Liberia Ltd, a Ghanaian company subcontracted by Western Cluster.
Unfortunately, after hearing of the arrest order Osei-Boadi could not be located by the court officers, who currently in search of his whereabouts.
The case that led to Judge James Jones’ order was filed by Hans Armstrong, a British national and chief executive officer (CEO) of Horizon Construction and Transport Company.
Armstrong in his complaint claimed that his company and Citadel Mining Services on July 1, 2022 entered and executed equipment lease agreement to have citadel mining to rent his Hitachi 850 machine for its operation on the Western Cluster iron ore site, in Bomi County.
They agreed that Citadel Mining will pay an hourly rate of US$175. But, after citadel mining took the Hitachi machine on Western Cluster mining operation site, they have been using the Hitachi since August 2022 up to and including May 2023, which they have failed to make any payment with each month is US$84,000, which amount to the US$378,000.
“The total indebtedness of defendants in the tune of US$378,000 reflecting the eight and half months they continue to maintain actual and physical and usage of the machine at the operational area in Bomi County. He did not know the exact location of the equipment,” Armstrong suit claims.
In Judge James Jones’ order that is accompanied by a writ of attachment, it says, “you are commanded to attach and take possession and custody of all identifiable properties and or assets of Western Cluster 1st defendant and Citadel Mining 2nd defendant, in the above entitled cause of action including monies, vehicles equipment and any other assets situated and lying in the Republic of Liberia, to the total value of US$500,000, same being over the amount sued for.”
The order continues, “you are hereby further orders to arrest the living body of the defendants and keep him or her in custody should he or she falls to show properties to cover the amount due the plaintiff (Armstrong) and have the said defendants safe kept in the common jail, until he or she have complied with the term and condition of this writ of attachment.” By Taisiah K. Merfee
