Amid Fraud Findings: House Takes Step to De-Ratify Controversial TIA–LTA Telecom Concession Agreement

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA: The House of Representatives has begun formal proceedings to de-ratify the controversial Telecom International Alliance (TIA) and Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) Concession Agreement, following a request from President Joseph Nyumah Boakai.

During its 11th day sitting of the 3rd Quarter of the 2nd Session on Thursday, November 20, 2025, the Plenary mandated three key committees—Investment and Concession, Post and Telecommunication, and Judiciary—to thoroughly review the President’s communication and report back within two weeks.

In his communication to the Legislature, President Boakai disclosed that the Executive Branch had already suspended the TIA–LTA Concession Agreement for Telecommunication Traffic Monitoring Services.

The suspension, President Boakai said, followed damning revelations from three investigative bodies including the General Auditing Commission (GAC), the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), and the Board of Commissioners of the LTA.

These investigations uncovered a pattern of statutory breaches, procurement irregularities, and fraudulent activities that invalidated the contract from its inception.

According to the findings referenced by the President, the agreement was fraught with critical irregularities such as breach of procurement Law. The investigation found that that contract was awarded in clear violation of the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) Act of 2010.

The investigation also established that the process bypassed legal processes and that the required procurement steps were entirely ignored.

Questionable incorporation timeline was also established by the investigative panel that TIA was incorporated in the State of Delaware only four days after receiving bid documents, and astonishingly registered in Liberia ten months after the contract had already been awarded.

Unexplained revenue share increase where TIA’s revenue share was raised from its initial 35% bid to 49%, with no justification provided.

A Dubious 20-Year Extension in the contract’s duration was extended by an additional 20 years without proof of value for money or national benefit was also found to be accordance with best practice.

The investigation also detected that fraud has occurred in procurement process rendering the entire agreement invalid from the very beginning.

“In light of these findings, and pursuant to the Executive Order issued under my authority as President of the Republic of Liberia, I request that the Legislature take appropriate legislative action to de-ratify any prior legislation or endorsement relating to the aforementioned concession,” President Boakai wrote.

The Presidential communication signals the Unity Party–led administration’s intent to clamp down on irregular concession agreements and strengthen accountability within the telecommunications sector.

Following the reading of the President’s communication, the House Plenary tasked the three relevant committees to scrutinize the President’s request, review all associated legal instruments, and determine whether prior legislative ratification should be nullified

A report is expected in two weeks, setting the stage for what could become one of the most consequential contract reversals in Liberia’s telecom history.