LTA отвергла обвинения в коррупции и назвала их политически мотивированной кампанией

The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) has strongly rejected allegations of corruption surrounding its management of revenue generated from Liberia's international telecommunications gateway monitoring system, describing the claims as a "laughable" and politically motivated smear campaign intended to derail ongoing reforms within the institution. In a detailed statement, the LTA accused what it described as "hired guns" masquerading as anti-corruption advocates of orchestrating a campaign of blackmail and misinformation by alleging that revenue generated since the suspension of the Telecommunications International Alliance (TIA) concession has been managed without transparency or accountability. According to the Authority, the accusations are part of a broader effort by individuals who allegedly benefited from previous questionable arrangements in the telecommunications sector and are now resisting reforms introduced by the current Board of Commissioners. The LTA disclosed that following President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's suspension of the TIA contract in October 2025, it assumed direct operation of the international gateway monitoring system. The Authority said the arrangement has generated substantial revenue for the government while demonstrating that LTA's technical staff are fully capable of managing the system without prolonged dependence on foreign contractors. The Board maintained that all revenues collected during the period have been managed transparently and in accordance with applicable laws, emphasizing that it welcomes any independent financial audit. "We remain fully committed to transparency and accountability and will cooperate with any audit of our financial records," the statement said. The Authority added that information regarding any future procurement process will be communicated through the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC). Board Says Reforms Facing Resistance The LTA believes the allegations are retaliation against efforts to clean up what it described as years of poor oversight in the telecommunications sector. According to the Board, reforms are intended to restore public confidence while ensuring greater benefits for Liberia through improved management of telecommunications revenues. The Authority also defended the current NUMTEL JV/NUMBASE arrangement, noting that it allocates 60 percent of revenue to the Government of Liberia and 40 percent to the private operator, which it said is significantly more favorable than the previous TIA agreement. The Authority maintained that the TIA contract was riddled with legal and procurement irregularities. According to the LTA, investigations found that TIA's revenue share increased from its original bid of 35 percent to 49 percent without clear justification, while the contract term was reportedly extended from eight years to twenty years. The LTA further claimed that TIA earned more than US$50 million over six years despite allegedly failing to fulfill key contractual obligations, including training LTA personnel to eventually take over operation of the monitoring system. The Authority also alleged that procurement laws were violated during the award of the contract, including the use of restricted bidding before obtaining PPCC approval and the absence of required financial and technical documentation. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai suspended the TIA contract through Executive Order No. 154, issued on October 31, 2025, after investigations by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) reportedly uncovered significant irregularities in the award and execution of the agreement. According to the Executive Mansion, the investigations found evidence suggesting violations of the Public Procurement and Concessions Act, including the award of the contract against PPCC recommendations and questions surrounding TIA's incorporation status during the bidding process. The President subsequently directed the LTA to cease implementation of the contract, instructed the Ministry of Justice to pursue legal action where appropriate, and mandated the LTA and PPCC to engage a qualified service provider through a lawful procurement process to ensure continuity of telecommunications traffic monitoring services. The LTA noted that the national telecommunications traffic monitoring system was previously managed by Global Voice Group (GVG) under a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement that ended in 2018. According to the Authority, GVG transferred both the equipment and technical knowledge to the LTA upon completion of the contract, enabling the institution to operate the system independently. However, instead of continuing direct operations, the previous LTA administration awarded a new contract to TIA through what the current Board describes as a flawed procurement process. The Authority said audits conducted by the GAC, findings by the LACC, and internal legal reviews all raised serious concerns regarding the legality, transparency, and financial implications of the agreement. Despite the ongoing allegations, the LTA says it remains focused on strengthening governance within the telecommunications sector. The Authority pledged to continue publishing information relating to its operations, procurement activities, and regulatory decisions while working with the government to identify and terminate contracts found to be fraudulent or inconsistent with Liberian law. "The reform process will continue despite resistance from those who benefited from the old system," the LTA said, adding that protecting telecommunications revenue remains essential to Liberia's economic development.