With 6 Months Pay Cut And Fined Over US$2K
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia–The Supreme Court has formally sanctioned the Resident Judge of Civil Law Court, Kennedy Peabody for multiple violations of judicial ethics, ordering a 6-month suspension without pay, a $2,115.40 fine, as well as a mandatory public reprimand before the state’s highest court.
In a unanimous decision, the court approved a recommendation of the Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC), that Judge Peabody violated Judicis Canon twelve, Twenty-eight and Thirty-Five, which states, Judicial Canon Twelve-gifts and favour- states: “A judge should not accept any presents or favor from litigants, or from lawyers practicing before him from others whose interests are likely to be submitted to him for judgment.”
Peabody’s complainant, Prince Kanneh accused the judge of oppressing, suppressing and threatening, to take away from him a 29 lots of land, that belonging to a Lebanese businessman Bassam Jawhary,of which he was appointed serve as his Attorney-In-fact to look after his office, Momentum Engineering Group, Inc situated on a 14.5 of the 29 lots of land in Foday’s Town, RIA Highway. Kanneh further claimed that the remaining 14.5 lots was a gift from Jawhary to Judge Peabody, after ruling in his favor in a land dispute case, when the judge was then a magistrate assigned to the Paynesville Magisterial Court.
But, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment read by Justice Ceaineh Clinton Johnson on August 14,2025 said, Peabody should have been careful to have avoided such connection which may reasonably tend to awaken the suspicion that his social or business relationship or friendships constitute an element influencing his judicial conduct.
“We therefore hold that Peabody exhibited unethical conducts that warrant punishment, hence, we hereby affirmed both the JIC’s Report and that of the amici curiae’s recommendation with modification, that he be suspended without salaries and benefits for the period of six (6) months as of this Judgment,”
Before that judgment, Peabody denied the allegations and stated that at no time did he threatened Kanneh as alleged.
He further averred that he met with Kanneh for the first time, while on his way to Foday’s Town for a resurvey, upon an invitation of Counsellor Sayma Syrenius Cephus at his residence.
He also denied Kanneh’s ownership to the property of Momentum Engineering Group, Inc. and challenged him to produce the Article of Incorporation for Momentum Engineering Group, Inc.
Peabody also argued that he is the owner of 29 lots of land from the Administrators of the Interstate Estate of the late Gborgar Kaipaul, Gbarvwen Kaipaul, Sabah Kaipaul, and Garway William Sharpe and that he issued a title deed for 14.5 lots, while 14.5 lots to Momentum Engineering Group, Inc.; that at no time did he preside over a case involving Bassam H. Jawhary and Oumou Sirleaf Hage, wife of Milad R. Hage and Tony Hage at the Paynesville Magisterial Court, as alluded to by Kanneh and was gifted 14.5 lots of land by Bassam H. Jawhary.
Peabody also said that he knows Hassam H. Jawhary and they both had similar dream and vision to build homes for homeless people in Liberia, which necessitated the purchased of 29 lots of Land; that at no time has he ever oppressed, suppressed or threatened Kanneh.
“In fact, it is Kanneh, who has sold two acres of the subject property to various persons who have cornerstones planted; that he served a resurvey notice on all parties, including those to whom he had sold land to,” the judge alleged.
Peabody maintained and denied the Kanneh’s appointment as his caretaker or an Attorney-In-fact to Bassam H. Jawhary, a majority shareholder and CEO of Momentum Engineering Group, Inc. to look after the property. Kanneh further argued that Peabody, in the exercise of his judicial power, ordered a re-survey of his 14.5 lots of land, where he included the company’s 14.5 lots in the resurvey, on the basis that he had title deed to the 29 lots, which took placed on February 23, 2023.
Prior to the resurvey, Kanneh said, he was employed with Jawhary, and they acquired the 29 lots of land. Unfortunately, Kanneh said, since Peabody was interested in the entire 29 lots, the judge began to oppress, suppress and threaten him, prompting him to seek the intervention of then Retired Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh.