Court Orders NOCAL, Finance Ministry Closed

By Lincoln G. Peters

TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia, September 23, 2026 — The Commercial Court of Liberia has ordered the immediate closure and sealing of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in connection with a long-running debt case involving two former NOCAL officials.

The order, issued Wednesday, September 23, by Chief Judge Eva Mappy Morgan, directs Acting Sheriff Emmanuel Morris to seal the entrances of both institutions and remove occupants as part of enforcement proceedings in the case.

The dispute stems from an Action of Debt filed by former NOCAL officials Vida A. Mensah and Cllr. Idella Cooper-Shannon against the state-owned oil company and its corporate officers.

The case reportedly originated from NOCAL’s 2015 restructuring and severance arrangements.

Claims initially reported at about US$85,000 for each former official have reportedly grown to a combined US$764,762 following years of litigation, including accumulated interest and penalties.

The latest enforcement proceedings have also brought NOCAL Vice President for Finance and Investment Emmanuel Azango into the dispute.

Azango reportedly maintained that the debt constitutes an old government liability and argued that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning should assume responsibility for payment.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, Azango was reportedly held in contempt and made to remain on the court’s bench for more than two hours.

He also said the court demanded payment of 25 percent of the outstanding obligation. However, the September 23 closure order, as described, does not specify the monetary value of such payment.

Although Azango was not part of NOCAL’s management when the original dispute arose, his current position places him among officials responsible for the company’s financial affairs.

The case has dragged on for years since NOCAL underwent major restructuring in 2015, leaving the severance-related claims unresolved despite prolonged litigation.

The Commercial Court’s latest order brings the dispute directly to NOCAL and the Finance Ministry as the court moves to enforce its judgment in favor of the former officials.

The action could disrupt operations at both institutions if the closure order is fully executed and remains in effect.

The dispute also raises broader questions over the settlement of outstanding liabilities involving state-owned enterprises and the government’s responsibility for obligations inherited from previous administrations.

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