Liberia: Stephanie Kpoto Sues Martin Kollie for U.S.$500,000 Over Alleged Defamatory Facebook Posts

What the report says

Liberian businesswoman Stephanie Audrey Kpoto has filed a US$500,000 defamation lawsuit in the Civil Law Court in Montserrado County against Verity News publisher Martin K. N. Kollie, according to AllAfrica’s report of The Liberian Investigator. The case centers on Facebook posts Kpoto says were published between Aug. 22 and Aug. 26 and falsely portrayed her as an international cocaine trafficker. The court filing says Kollie was ordered to respond to the complaint by Sept. 13 and to appear in court later in the month, or face a default judgment.

Kpoto alleges the posts used her name, photographs and passport image, and urged authorities and the public to arrest her, seize her assets and pursue her through Interpol. She says the posts did not present the claims as allegations and instead described them as fact, while also accusing her of drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption. The complaint also says Kollie linked her to former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor and the Jewel StarFish Foundation, claims Kpoto denies.

In her filing, Kpoto says the publications damaged her reputation, caused people and organizations to distance themselves from her, and contributed to lost business, canceled meetings, travel problems and emotional distress. She is seeking damages and other relief, arguing that free-expression protections do not cover knowingly false or reckless statements. The case reflects the broader legal tension in Liberia between online speech and defamation claims, especially where social media posts are alleged to have serious personal and professional consequences.