By Precious D. Freeman
In the ongoing US$700,000 libel lawsuit filed by Wilmot Smith, former Deputy Director General for Information Coordination at the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Ecobank Liberia’s Corporate Manager, Stephen Howard, testified as the bank’s first witness at the Civil Law Court.
Howard admitted that LISGIS account statements were leaked by a former employee, Yussif Kromah, then acting head of the Card Operations Department.
During his testimony on Monday, Howard revealed that Kromah violated the bank’s confidentiality agreement by providing LISGIS’s account details to Alex Williams, a former Deputy Director General for Statistics and a non-signatory to the account.
“Kromah was not authorized to release any information about customers’ account details. He violated the confidentiality agreement he signed with the bank and was dismissed immediately after an investigation by our internal audit department,” Howard stated.
Wilmot Smith filed an Action of Damages for Wrong against Ecobank and Kromah, seeking $500,000 in general damages and $200,000 in punitive damages.
Smith claims that Kromah leaked LISGIS’s account details to Alex Williams, who, in turn, shared the information with Spoon TV and co-defendants Stanton Witherspoon and Martin K. N. Kollie.
The details were allegedly manipulated and disseminated on social media, accusing Smith of withdrawing funds from the Population Census account for personal use.
Smith argued that under the doctrine of “respondent superior,” Ecobank is liable for the actions of its employee, especially since the misconduct occurred during working hours and within the bank’s premises.
Howard testified that the bank cannot be held responsible for Kromah’s actions, as they were unauthorized and in direct violation of bank policies.
“The internal investigation established that Kromah acted independently when he released the account statement of LISGIS to a non-signatory,” Howard explained.
He also revealed that Kromah’s dismissal on January 19, 2023, was based on findings from the audit department.
Howard further testified that the matter was first brought to his attention by former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah after allegations surfaced in FrontPage Africa.
The publication claimed that LISGIS officials, including Tweah and Smith, opened an account in Côte d’Ivoire and transferred census funds for personal use.
Howard clarified that these claims were false. “Ecobank transferred funds to Côte d’Ivoire to purchase census materials for LISGIS, as per standard procedures,” he said.
Howard disclosed that Smith personally approached him at the bank, alleging that the leaked account statements were used by Alex Williams, Spoon TV, and others to incriminate him on social media.
The claims suggested that Smith diverted census funds for personal gain. Howard described the allegations as grave and initiated an internal investigation, leading to Kromah’s dismissal.
Smith’s lawyer, Cllr. Arthur Johnson, argued that the defendants manipulated LISGIS’s account statements, including account numbers #6101350441 and #6100064362, to wrongfully accuse his client.
Johnson further claimed that the leaked information was used by the management of Spoon TV and its panelists to tarnish Smith’s reputation.
According to court records, Kromah admitted to leaking the account details in an affidavit dated March 30, 2023.
Smith’s lawsuit contends that Ecobank failed to adequately address the harm caused by its employee’s actions, opting instead for what he described as a “cosmetic approach” by dismissing Kromah after the damage was done.
The plaintiff maintains that Ecobank is ultimately responsible for Kromah’s actions as his employer.
“Ecobank lawfully employed Kromah and is therefore accountable for the harm caused to my client’s reputation,” Cllr. Johnson argued.
The case continues as the court evaluates evidence and testimonies to determine whether Ecobank bears liability for Kromah’s actions and the subsequent reputational damage claimed by Smith.
With $700,000 in damages at stake, the outcome could set a precedent for employer accountability in Liberia’s banking sector.
