Several Lebanese businesses were shutdown Saturday by the Liberia Revenue Authority for depriving the government of tax revenue.

The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), the public entity responsible to collect tax revenue, obtained a writ of search and seizure warrant through the Ministry of Justice from the Monrovia Magisterial Court at the Temple of Justice.

LRA Legal Counsel Atty. Max T. Duncan, working with few LRA staff and court officers, enforced the court order last Saturday evening on Broad and Randall Streets, closing several Lebanese owned businesses.

According to the Court documents, 18 businesses in total were affected all of which are owned and operated by Lebanese.

Stipendiary Magistrate Kennedy Peabody in his writ of search and seizure warrant to the sheriff of the court stated “you further commanded to that upon the discovery of these items to bring them before this honorable court in keeping with law and make your returns and endorsed at the back of this writ as to the form and manner of service therefore. And for so doing, this shall constitute your legal and sufficient authority.”

But lawyers representing some of the affected businesses informed journalists that the search and seizure warrants used by LRA were unlawful.