13/08/2026
Rivercess Superintendent Frustrated Over Stay Order in Jo River Bridge Case
By: Methuselah Gaye
Cestos City, Rivercess County — Rivercess County Superintendent Byron Zahnwea has expressed frustration over a stay order issued to halt the prosecution of Kpandu Construction Company over its alleged failure to complete the Jo River Bridge project in Bodowhea Town, Monweh Statutory District, Rivercess County.
Speaking during the opening of the August A.D. 2026 Term of Court in Cestos City, Superintendent Zahnwea said Rivercess County’s remote location and limited financial resources make it difficult for the county to recover from contractors who allegedly fail to complete projects after receiving public funds.
According to Superintendent Zahnwea, some contractors take advantage of the county by receiving money for projects and allegedly misusing the funds without completing the work. He said when such contractors are asked to account for the projects, they often challenge the county to take them to court, a step his administration has now taken in an effort to protect the county’s resources.
Superintendent Zahnwea said the county, through County Attorney Cllr. Martin M. Tumoe, is making every effort to pursue the case to its conclusion, but the stay order issued by the Supreme Court has prevented the prosecution from moving forward. He appealed to Associate Justice Yussif D. Kaba, who was present at the court opening, to help fast-track the stay order conference so that the prosecution could resume.
In response, Associate Justice Kaba instructed Rivercess County Attorney Cllr. Martin M. Tumoe to visit his office at the Supreme Court to obtain a better understanding of the stay order and the issues surrounding the case. Justice Kaba also advised the County Attorney to make contact with the attorney in Montserrado County so that the matter could be properly raised before the Supreme Court.
The case involves Kpandu Construction Company, which was contracted in 2023 to construct a 40-foot reinforced concrete bridge over the Jo River in Bodowhea Town. The project was reportedly valued at US$90,000, with the company receiving approximately 55 percent of the project cost, but substantial work was allegedly not completed.
Kpandu Construction Company General Manager Hammed L. Horton was arrested in Monrovia on November 15, 2024, by court officers from the Cestos City Magisterial Court. He was subsequently transported to Rivercess County to face prosecution over the abandoned project.
The company reportedly demolished the old log bridge connecting Jo River Administrative District to other parts of lower Rivercess but later abandoned the construction project.
The Jo River Bridge case is among several concerns raised over contractors who have received funding for public projects in Rivercess County but allegedly failed to complete their assignments.