–Says, “Execution of Judgment is About Repossession, Not Destruction”
By Archie Sei-Bob Yini
Prominent Liberian lawyer and political leader, Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding the eviction and demolition of structures at the headquarters of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
In a public note titled “Law and Politics: The CDC Eviction and the Law on Writs of Possession”, Cllr. Gongloe explained that while the law permits court officers to enforce writs of possession by removing occupants from disputed property, it does not authorize the destruction of buildings.
“A writ of possession is only meant to put the rightful landowner back in possession of his/her property,” Gongloe said. “Court officers can remove people and their belongings, even break doors if necessary. But they cannot destroy houses or buildings.”
He clarified that once judgment is rendered, all structures on the land automatically belong to the new lawful owner, who alone has the right to decide whether to preserve or demolish them, not the court or the police.
According to Gongloe, the central question arising from the CDC eviction is: Who ordered in the yellow machines that tore down the buildings?
If the machines were hired by the lawful property owner, the action was legal.
But if they were brought in by court officers or police, he stressed, it was unlawful, since it went beyond their legal authority.
Citing legal precedent, the senior lawyer referenced the case of Togba Estate v. Goodridge, where the court returned land to the rightful estate but did not authorize the destruction of existing structures. “The house still stands,” he said, “because only the estate had the right to decide.”
Gongloe cautioned against politicizing the CDC eviction, stressing that enforcement of judgments is a legal, not a political process.
The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) was evicted and building demolished on August 23, 2025, pursuant to a Civil Law Court’s order for eviction. The Court Sheriff sought the assistance of the Liberia National Police.
Videos show an excavators or yellow machine bringing down buildings, structures and stalls. In other videos, some police officers were see breaking down a structure. There is an abiding question as to who ordered the demolition of the structures – the judgment owners or the police.
