By: Julius Konton
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has suspended the contract between the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and Telecom International Alliance (TIA) after government investigations uncovered procurement fraud and serious procedural violations in the deal’s approval.
The action is contained in Executive Order No. 154, issued from the Executive Mansion on Thursday.
The General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) found that the contract intended for telecommunications traffic monitoring services was awarded in direct violation of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) Act.
According to the investigation reports, TIA was registered in the U.S. state of Delaware only four days after obtaining the bid documents, and was incorporated in Liberia nearly ten months after the contract was already awarded.
Further irregularities showed that:
TIA received 49% of revenue from telecom monitoring an increase from the 35% originally proposed.
The contract was extended for 20 years, with no justification or evidence of value for money.
PPCC’s objections and recommendations were ignored during the procurement process.
“These findings reveal flagrant breaches of procurement requirements and an abuse of public trust,” the report stated.
Under the Executive Order, President Boakai instructed the LTA to immediately cease the implementation of the contract and ordered the Ministry of Justice to take all necessary legal actions under Liberian law, including possible prosecution for fraud.
Recognizing the security implications of telecom monitoring, Boakai also directed the LTA and PPCC to launch a new and fully compliant procurement process to identify a qualified service provider.
The Executive Branch will notify the Legislature to pursue legal measures, including the possible de-ratification of previous legislative approval linked to the suspended contract.
President Boakai reaffirmed his administration’s anti-corruption stance:
“The Government of Liberia will continue to take decisive actions to safeguard national resources and ensure that all public contracts serve the best interest of the Liberian people,” President Boakai said.
The suspension marks one of the strongest anti-corruption actions taken by the Boakai administration since taking office sending what analysts see as a clear message that public procurement fraud will not be tolerated.
