For Improper Use Of Vehicle Evidence: -Traffic Court Slams Fmr. SG Cephus
The Judge of the Monrovia Traffic Court, Karsor K. Zubah, has made a key ruling in a widely followed case about a traffic ticket that raised big questions about how vehicle registrations are handled.
The case involved a KIA SUV with license plate number A528327, driven by one Joseph Papie Mulbah.
According to the case, on May 12, 2025, a police officer, Inspector Ben Johns of the Liberia National Police, gave Mulbah a traffic ticket for violating Section 3.93 of Liberia’s Vehicle and Traffic Law.
This law says you can not use or display registration plates or papers that do not legally belong to your vehicle.
Mulbah was represented in court by the former Solicitor General Sayma Syrenius Cephus of AFDAL Global who argued that the ticket was unfair because of confusion over the car’s registration.
But in court, it was revealed that two different license plates—A528327 and A32941—were both linked to the same car.
One registration was issued in April 2025 but had already expired while another, listed as a “Change of Category,” was issued in May 2025; both registrations were for the same silver KIA SUV, owned by Cllr. Cephus.
Judge Zubah said the court could not solve the issue of the two plates without hearing from the Ministry of Transport, which was not part of the matter.
However, he made it clear that Section 3.93 is strict and states that: ‘You cannot use plates or registration papers that don’t match your car even if it’s due to a paperwork issue. Violating this law can lead to a fine of up to US$1,000, jail time of up to a year, or both.”
The judge also explained how registration timelines work in Liberia, that is all vehicle registrations expire on December 31 every year, and people are given a grace period through January. If you renew after that, it does not erase earlier violations.
Though the court did not rule on which license plate was correct, it stressed a few key points: ‘The Liberia National Police and Ministry of Transport need to work together better. Laws about vehicle registration must be clearly understood and followed, Traffic courts must balance fairness with following the law.’
Though some experts believe reforms may be coming to Liberia’s vehicle registration system, the Traffic Court passed the license plate confusion to a higher court or agency to review.
The court further identified that the main issue before it was not only about expiration and renewal of registration vehicle which is Section 3.7 but also improper use of evidence of Registration Section 3.93.
The court reminded that the ticket in question was issued to the operator for improper use of evidence of registration and no registration.
According to the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the Republic of Liberia, Section 3.93. Improper use of evidence of registration says, “No person shall lend to another any certificate of registration, registration plate, or special plate issued to him if the person borrowing the same would not be entitled to the use thereof, nor shall any person knowingly permit the use of any of the same by one not entitled thereto, nor shall any person display for or upon any vehicle any certificate of registration or registration plate not issued for such vehicle or not otherwise lawfully used thereon under this chapter.”
Section 3.7. Expiration and renewal of registration says, “Registration of a vehicle shall be renewed periodically in the same manner and upon payment of the same annual fee as provided for registration. Registration and certificates of registration shall expire on the 31st of December of each year, but the registration of a vehicle in effect on the last day of December may be used during the month of January following for the operation of the vehicle for which it was issued.”
Meanwhile, Judge Zubah appeared for a conference before Judge Ciapha Carey yesterday predicated upon a petition filed Cllr. Cephus on behalf of his client.
The summary proceeding was drawn out of the ruling in the ticket challenge case adjudged by the Traffic Court of Monrovia presided over by Judge Zubah.
This case sends a clear message that vehicle owners need to make sure their registration is correct and up to date, because even paperwork errors can lead to serious legal trouble.
