Monrovia, Feb. 5 -- Nearly a decade after a Swedish engineering firm supplied critical electrical materials to Liberia's state-owned power utility, a Montserrado County court has ordered the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) to immediately pay more than US$415,000, closing a long-running commercial dispute that has come to symbolize deeper concerns about contract enforcement and public-sector accountability in Liberia.

In a payment order issued on February 4, the Debt Court for Montserrado County ruled that LEC is liable to ELTEL Network for a total of US$415,327.08, covering the principal judgment, accumulated interest, legal fees, and court costs.

The ruling followed a hearing held Tuesday, February 3 during which LEC acknowledged...