Martin Kollie, Alex Williams Ordered to Pay Additional US$50,000 Each in Damages to Wilmot Smith
By Benjamin Q. Johnson
MONROVIA: The Supreme Court of Liberia has ruled in favor of Wilmot Smith, former Deputy Director General for Information Coordination at the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), ordering Ecobank Liberia Limited to pay him US$250,000 in special damages over the handling and disclosure of confidential LISGIS banking information.
The Supreme Court also ordered activist Martin K.N. Kollie and former LISGIS Deputy Director General for Statistics and Data Processing Alex M. Williams to pay US$50,000 each in general damages to Smith.
The combined damages awarded to Smith amount to US$350,000.
The ruling marks a significant reversal of the lower court’s outcome in a case that began after Smith accused Ecobank and other defendants of contributing to damage to his reputation following the disclosure and public discussion of LISGIS account information.
Smith maintained that the disclosure led to allegations that he had unlawfully withdrawn and diverted LISGIS funds, including money intended for Liberia’s national census.
At the center of Smith’s complaint was his allegation that information from LISGIS bank accounts maintained at Ecobank was improperly obtained and circulated.
Smith alleged that an Ecobank employee, Yussif S. Kromah, who worked as a Reconciliation Officer in the bank’s Card Operations Department, accessed and released sensitive account information to Alex Williams.
According to allegations presented during the lower-court proceedings, the information subsequently surfaced in public discussions involving Spoon TV and activist Martin K.N. Kollie.
Smith argued that the information was presented in a manner that falsely portrayed him as having misappropriated approximately US$1.7 million from LISGIS funds intended for the payment of census enumerators.
He maintained that the allegations severely damaged his reputation and contributed to the loss of his employment.
The US$700,000 Lawsuit
Smith initially filed an Action of Damages for Wrong by Attachment against Ecobank Liberia Limited and other defendants.
The case was heard by His Honour Scheaplor R. Dunbar, Assigned Circuit Judge of the Civil Law Court, Sixth Judicial Circuit, Montserrado County.
When the case entered the public domain in 2024, Smith was seeking US$500,000 in general damages and US$200,000 in punitive damages, bringing his original claim to US$700,000.
The case formally proceeded to trial in October 2024.
Smith’s legal team argued that Ecobank should be held responsible for the conduct of its employee under the doctrine of respondeat superior, which may make an employer liable for wrongful acts committed by an employee within the scope of employment.
Ecobank Denied Leaking Smith’s Information
Ecobank strongly rejected Smith’s allegations.
The bank argued that Kromah acted outside the scope of his employment and without authorization when the information was allegedly disclosed.
Ecobank said it investigated the matter and subsequently terminated Kromah.
The bank also argued that the accounts belonged to LISGIS and the Government of Liberia, rather than Smith personally, and therefore questioned his legal basis for seeking personal damages over the disclosure of the government’s banking information.
Ecobank further sought to have LISGIS and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning joined as parties, arguing that the accounts belonged to the Government. Judge Dunbar rejected that request.
Lower Court Battle
The case took several procedural turns before reaching the Supreme Court.
Ecobank sought intervention from the Supreme Court after Judge Dunbar allowed the matter to proceed.
In January 2025, Supreme Court Chambers Justice Yarmie Quiqui Gbeisay rejected Ecobank’s attempt to halt the proceedings, clearing the way for the lower-court trial to continue.
The matter eventually went before a petit jury.
In February 2025, reports indicated that the Civil Law Court exonerated Ecobank from liability while finding liability against individual defendants, including Alex Williams and Yussif Kromah.
Smith rejected the outcome and appealed to the Supreme Court.
His appeal challenged, among other things, the lower court’s handling of the evidence, alleged jury irregularities, and the application of the doctrine of vicarious liability.
The Supreme Court subsequently placed the matter on its docket for hearing.
On January 12, the High Court scheduled arguments in Smith’s appeal arising from Judge Dunbar’s February 24, 2025 judgment.
The appeal challenged the lower court’s verdict and raised allegations of jury tampering, misapplication of the law, and failure to properly apply principles relating to employer liability.
The Supreme Court’s latest ruling has now reversed the lower-court outcome, holding Ecobank financially liable to Smith for US$250,000 in special damages.
Supreme Court’s Finding on Confidentiality
A central issue in the Supreme Court’s decision was the responsibility of a financial institution to protect the confidential information of its customers.
According to the ruling, the Court found that Ecobank failed to employ proper mechanisms to safeguard its customer’s confidential information and failed to uphold the required confidentiality of the banking information.
The finding is significant because Ecobank had maintained that the disclosure was the unauthorized individual action of a former employee and that the bank itself should not be held responsible.
The Supreme Court’s decision, however, places financial responsibility on the bank for the resulting harm suffered by Smith.
The US$250,000 awarded against Ecobank was classified as special damages, representing compensation for actual and identifiable losses Smith suffered as a result of the wrongful conduct.
The Court separately awarded US$50,000 each against Martin K.N. Kollie and Alex M. Williams as general damages, bringing their combined liability to US$100,000.
For Smith, the ruling represents a significant legal victory in his claim that the controversy surrounding the disclosure of LISGIS banking information caused substantial injury to his reputation and livelihood.
A Case That Started With Census Money
The dispute originated from controversy surrounding LISGIS accounts holding funds connected to Liberia’s national population and housing census.
Public allegations at the time centered on the movement of millions of dollars through LISGIS accounts and claims that funds intended for census activities had been improperly withdrawn.
Kollie publicly raised allegations concerning the management of LISGIS funds and identified Smith and other officials in his public discussions.
In 2022, Kollie alleged that more than US$2.3 million had been deposited into a LISGIS account and questioned the disposition of the funds.
The allegations became increasingly public and eventually contributed to a wider controversy surrounding the leadership of LISGIS.
The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of the removal of senior LISGIS officials.
In November 2022, former President George Manneh Weah dismissed Wilmot Smith and Alex Williams from their positions at LISGIS, citing administrative reasons.
Smith was then serving as Acting Director General, while Williams was Deputy Director General for Statistics and Data Processing.
Smith subsequently maintained that the public allegations and controversy surrounding the LISGIS accounts contributed to damage to his professional reputation and ultimately affected his employment.
The Supreme Court’s latest ruling therefore places the issues of banking confidentiality, institutional responsibility, and reputational injury at the center of a case that has followed the former LISGIS official for several years.
With the Supreme Court ruling in Smith’s favor, Ecobank Liberia Limited is ordered to pay US$250,000 in special damages, while Martin K.N. Kollie and Alex M. Williams are ordered to pay US$50,000 each in general damages.
The decision marks a dramatic reversal of the lower-court outcome and represents a significant civil judgment involving the confidentiality of banking information and claims of reputational harm in Liberia.
The total damages awarded to Wilmot Smith amount to US$350,000.
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