–As LTA Board Sheds Light Through Dark Tunnels
As alarm bells ring incessantly over some fraudulent and/or non-performing contracts (deals), including concessions and other business arrangements in government, the current Board of Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), has added speed to the implementation of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s public sector reform agenda, after paving the way for the suspension of one of the most problematic and controversial contracts given to a private entity.
Amidst growing concerns over the what, when, where and how about the International Traffic Monitoring Services Contract between the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and the Telecom International Alliance (TIA), President Boakai has, through Executive Order No. 154, suspended the deal.
The President, on October 31, 2025, issued Executive Order No. 154, immediately suspending the Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring contract with TIA, following what the Executive Mansion termed as damning audit and investigation reports from the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), both of which found serious irregularities and evidence of fraud in the award and execution of the contract.
The findings show that the contract was awarded to TIA against the recommendations of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), in violation of Section 32 of the PPCC Act of 2010. It was further revealed that TIA was established in the State of Delaware, USA, only four days after receiving the bid documents, and was later incorporated in Liberia nearly ten months after being awarded the contract.
The LTA has therefore, been directed to cease all further implementation of the TIA contract, while the Ministry of Justice is instructed to pursue the matter in accordance with the Penal Code and the rule of law.
“Recognizing the national security and financial implications of telecommunications traffic monitoring, President Boakai has directed that the LTA and PPCC immediately engage a qualified service provider in compliance with procurement laws to ensure continuity of service,” the Executive Mansion release added.
The Executive Branch will also notify the Legislature and seek appropriate legislative action to de-ratify any prior enactments relating to the suspended contract.
The intervention of the GAC and LACC followed a resolution passed by the current Board of Commissioners of the LTA, which called for the review of the TIA Contact and its subsequent repeal by the Legislature.
The LTA Board, headed by former Lofa County Representative and former Chair of the Committee on Investment & Concession, Clarence K. Massaqoui, based its resolution on the outcome of a review process which found that necessary legal processes, including procurement laws, were ignored and violated in awarding the contact to TIA.
The LTA Board of Commissioners has repeatedly raised questions about the validity, legitimacy and compliance status of the contract, with many other stakeholders and industry experts also fearing that Liberia must have been, or is being grossly cheated in what is now being described as fraudulent procurement and other processes and arrangements leading to the award of the contract to TIA.
According to incontestable records, including revelations from the intervention of the GAC and LACC, as well as sources in the Telecommunications sector, in 2011, Global Voice Group (GVG), the Spanish company and CONNEX Liberia, a Librarian company, were jointly awarded a 5-year BOT contract to establish telecom traffic monitoring system for the LTA. The contract was extended for additional two years – ending June 2018, at which time GVG handed over to the LTA, all equipment purchased, installed and used in the monitoring operation.
Global Voice Group also trained the LTA staff working on the system to take over its operation as a way of transferring knowledge and domesticating technical skills for cost-effective and productive outcome.
On Issuance of Restricted Bid documents (LTA/RB/006/18/19), instead of operating the system and taking the revenue for the country, past LTA authorities chose to award another contract using Restricted Bidding method, and issued bid documents to 5 firms — Stratum Telecom, Telecoms International Alliance (TIA), Waterlane Services, Zone Voice and SIGOS in a Restricted Bidding process, with only two of the five firms, Stratum Telecoms and Telecom International Alliance (TIA) submitting bids by the deadline of July 24, 2018 at 14:00 hours (2:00PM).
Records also show that TIA, which was formed in Delaware, USA on June 15, 2018, the same day the bid documents were issued, was one of the companies served with the bid document, contrary to Sections 50 (1) (a) and the 51(1)-“restricted bidding may be held: (a) When the goods, works or services are only available from a limited number of bidders…” In that case, “all known suppliers capable of supplying the goods, works or services shall be invited.”
TIA’s bid price was US$9.275M or 35% of expected revenue.
LTA constituted a Bid Evaluation Panel comprising of seven (7) employees, and as per PPCC approval of procurement method, nearly two months after issuing bid documents and receiving submission of tenders and forming of BEP, LTA requested and received PPCC’s approval to use Restricted Bidding (RB), meaning bidding was carried out before seeking approval of method in violation of Section 24(1)(c) of PPCA which requires the Executive Director to approve procurement method.
In the Bid Evaluation Report, the LTA’s BEP declared TIA’s bid as the most responsive and therefore the winner, stating TIA’s bid price as 35% of expected revenue without a mention of the US$9.275M strict price quoted by TIA, and therefore, LTA Procurement Committee endorsed recommendation of BEP for award of contract to TIA.
In its Request to PPCC for No Objection to award the contract to TIA as required by Section 37 of PPCA which provides that the Procuring Entity shall promptly furnish the Commission (PPCC) with notice of each contract awarded, indicating the reference number used in the bidding process, the contract price, the name and address of the successful bidder, a brief description of the goods, services or work procured and the procurement method utilized in awarding the contract, the LTA presented a bid value of three million United States dollars (US$3,000,000.00) per annu for six years, but PPCC Director of Compliance wrote the Executive Director highlighting several inconsistencies in the contract, including (a) lack of specific references in the bid document, (b) the required financial capacity not indicated, (c) no audited financial statement, bank statement, or proof of financial viability, (d) bid opening minutes lacks details as to whether the bidders submitted the required eligibility and qualification documents, (e) lack of title for key staff and their relevant qualifications including education and experience, (f) BEP report passed TIA through preliminary evaluation without audited financial statement or bank statement as well as relevant experience as required by the bid documents sent out, (g) ambiguity in contract price, and (h) ambiguity in contract duration, etc.
Instead of addressing the queries made by PPCC, LTA, on August 16, 2018, issued notification of contract award without PPCC approval which LTA requested, and on August 29, 2018, the two entities (LTA and TIA) carried out contract negotiation, and signed a contract on August 31, 2018, giving LTA (Liberia) 51% in the first four years and TIA 49% for the same period, while LTA takes 55% and TIA 45% for the last four years.
This contract value (49%) which is nearly 50%, is different from the contract price of 35% stated by TIA in its bid and there is no reason stated anywhere to inform the increase.
Records also revealed that when TIA has not met key milestones including training which would have enable LTA staff to inherit the system, and no responsibility assigned, the contract was amended reinstating TIA’s share of revenue to 49% instead of 45% in the last four years, while the remaining duration of the contract was changed from four years to twenty years.
Up to date, the Legal and Procurement Sections of LTA do not have records of the amendment and how it proceeded, and there is no indication of PPCC approval.
The Contract of August 31, 2018 was executed before LTA promulgated the Floor Price Order establishing 9% Regulatory Fee in 2021. This is being shared with TIA at the same rate (LTA-51% and TIA-49%) without any records establishing a relationship or contract that would indicate the job to he performed.
The General Auditing Commission (GAC), in its Special Investigative Audit, requested proof of relationship linking TIA to the 9% Regulatory Fee but no such proof was provided. GAC also raised the issue in its Management Letter, and discussed same with current and former commissioners and staff during Exit Conference, but still the GAC, as reflected in the Auditor General’s Report of 2024, could not establish the relationship.
There are also no records in the Legal and Procurement Sections of the LTA on the making of a “concession”, and no indication of IMCC activities, process or review, and obviously, no indication of PPCC approval. There are also no records of new investment, or investment needs stipulated in the amended contract and/or concession.
Interestingly, when the current Board of the LTA took over, no training had been conducted, but in 2024, (under the current board), four (4) technical staff were taken to Ghana for two-week training.
One of the alarming findings which continues to generate concerns from actors in the sector as well as members of the Legislature and other stakeholders, is the revelation that TIA’s bid price was US$9.2M but has received over US$50M to date.
However, before the advent of TIA, under the first monitoring contract with Global Voice Group (GVG), the Spanish company was given a 5-year BOT contract to establish the monitoring regime in 2011and operated it up to 2016, hence, TIA inherited the set of LTA equipment purchased, installed and used by GVG.
At the expiration of the GVG Contact in 2016 and the signing of the TIA Contract in 2018, LTA operated the system. GVG trained LTA’s staff during its operations (2011-2016), and left them in charge of the system. Therefore, TIA met the LTA with the set of equipment purchased, installed and operated by GVG up to 2016.
It can be recalled that during the confirmation hearing of the current LTA Board of Commissioners, senators were keen to know why was the government, through the LTA, still outsourcing the monitoring operation and whether after nearly fourteen (14) years of foreign operation, there was still not a possibility or need to transfer knowledge/skills and transition the operation of the system to LTA staff.
Many Liberians, including telecommunications experts and revenue analysts, have voiced concerns about the continued hiring of foreign firms to operate such a critical system, as well as the lack of transparency in the management of revenue therefrom.
With the TIA Contact now suspended by the President, it remains to be seen what new beneficial approach or mechanism the Board of Commissioners of the LTA and the Legislature 0would put in place and how the operation of this critical aspect of the country’s telecommunications and its associated revenue are managed to benefit the nation and its people.