-CENTAL Anti-Corruption Report Reveals
By Jessica Cox
Liberia bled $23 million through procurement fraud last year alone, according to the 2024 State of Corruption Report launched today by the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), which exposed how systemic graft continues to undermine development while demanding urgent nationwide action to stem the hemorrhage of public funds.
The staggering loss emerged as a key finding in CENTAL’s comprehensive assessment, presented during a high-level gathering attended by diplomats, government agencies, and civil society leaders at a Monrovia hotel. The procurement fraud figure—equivalent to 15% of Liberia’s annual health budget—represented just one dimension of the corruption crisis documented in the report, which combined citizen surveys, institutional audits, and case investigations.
Researchers traced the missing millions to inflated contracts, phantom projects, and bid-rigging schemes across multiple ministries, with infrastructure and healthcare sectors suffering the heaviest losses. One cited case involved a $2.3 million road rehabilitation contract awarded to a shell company that delivered only 30% of the work while inspectors documented identical expenditure reports for three unrelated projects.
Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) Chairperson Atty. Emmett K. Kaye connected these losses to tangible human costs during his remarks, noting that the stolen $23 million could have funded 46 new primary schools or stocked every major hospital with essential medicines for 18 months. His voice shook as he described reviewing a maternity ward where nurses reuse gloves because procurement funds vanished.
The report’s procurement analysis found that 68% of sampled contracts violated competitive bidding rules, while 53% of vendors lacked proper registration documents. These findings come despite Liberia’s 2022 adoption of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) Act, which CENTAL says has been “systematically circumvented through emergency procurement declarations and presidential exemptions.”
Beyond financial losses, the study revealed collapsing public trust, with 79% of surveyed businesses reporting demands for kickbacks to secure government contracts. A female entrepreneur from Gbarnga shared how officials solicited 20% of her $80,000 agricultural grant award—a chilling disclosure that drew gasps from launch attendees.
CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen emphasized that procurement corruption has become industrialized, with sophisticated networks dividing roles between “front companies that bid, civil servants who approve, and bankers who launder.” The report identifies seven recurring corporate vehicles used to funnel illicit gains, all registered under nominee directors.
While exposing these schemes, the report commended grassroots efforts to combat graft, including a youth-led initiative in Nimba County that recovered $187,000 by tracking equipment purchases through procurement portals and physically verifying deliveries. Such successes informed CENTAL’s 10-point procurement reform agenda, featuring real-time contract tracking, mandatory vendor audits, and lifetime bans for violators.
As participants digested the findings, U.S. Ambassador Mark Toner announced new visa restrictions targeting corrupt procurement officials, while Sweden pledged technical support for Liberia’s upcoming e-procurement system. The heated Q&A session saw LACC officials grilled about stalled high-profile cases, prompting Atty. Kaye to disclose that 12 procurement fraud indictments will be filed next month.
The event closed with civil society groups demanding immediate action on the report’s recommendations, particularly the establishment of special economic crimes courts. With Liberia ranked 142nd on Transparency International’s latest index, analysts say the revelations could influence upcoming donor negotiations and legislative debates on the delayed Whistleblower Protection Bill.
Additional Key Findings show that Only 29% of procurement contracts undergo proper delivery verification, Emergency procurement mechanisms accounted for 61% of fraudulent transactions, 14 recurring vendors won 83% of sampled questionable contracts and 0% of flagged cases resulted in asset recovery in 2023.
