THE CENTER FOR Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) In a statement issued Tuesday, November 26, 2024, called on President Joseph N. Boakai to remove Abdullai Kamara as Acting Chairperson of Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA), dismiss Dorr Cooper, Inspector General of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and act against others accused of grave acts of corruption and other abuses. Also, CENTAL called on the President to suspend and dismiss public officials who have knowingly and recklessly refused to declare their assets, incomes and liabilities, in violation of the Code of Conduct.
ACCORDING TO THE statement, an audit by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) reveals that Abdullai Kamara, the current Acting Chair of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), was embroiled in violation of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) Law when he served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TAMMA Corporation. The GAC audit found that payments totaling L$262,844,500 and US$450,000 were made to TAMMA Corporation and 231 Data Incorporated without adherence to procurement protocols or documentation.
“IN THE FACE of this damming report from the GAC, CENTAL is surprised that no public action, including investigation or otherwise, has since been taken against Mr. Kamara. As far as we know, Mr. Kamara still enjoys the confidence of the presidency, as long as he continues to serve at the LTA, the same institution whose resources he is accused of joining ranks with key members of the previous administration to pillage. Ironically, early this year, the President swiftly acted on allegations of corruption at LTA to suspend the former board of commissioners and made new appointments. How come the President has not acted on GAC’s report on the same LTA implicating Mr. Kamara is a mystery. It is also further concerning that Mr. Kamara and the other commissioners of the LTA continue to serve in an acting capacity and enjoy all benefits appertaining to the office, since April 2024. We believe that this action is counter-productive, especially in the face of GAC audit findings regarding suspended LTA officials and Mr. Kamara. There is a need for definite position of the President regarding the LTA,” CENTAL noted.
CENTAL EMPHASIZED THAT impunity for corruption, fueled largely by limited political will and/or the lack of strong presidential willpower, has been a major stumbling block to credible, impartial, and robust anti-corruption efforts in the country.
“AS A RESULT, public sector corruption remains high, as Liberia scored 25 out of 100 on the 2023 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Transparency International, a huge decline from 32 in 2018. This is not surprising, as CENTAL’s 2023 State of Corruption Report shows that over 90% of Liberians believe that corruption level in government is very high and that their government is not doing enough to tackle it,” the statement further noted.