MONROVIA – Activist Martin K. N. Kollie has sounded the alarm on what he describes as blatant procurement fraud within the Liberian National Fire Service (LNFS), revealing that nearly $1 million has been lost due to inflated prices in exchange for kickbacks. In a statement issued on Friday, February 21, Kollie urged President Joseph Boakai to take immediate action against what he labeled as a systematic loss of public funds through questionable procurement practices.
According to Kollie, the Legislature allocated $4,167,557 to the LNFS for the Fiscal Year 2024, with $2 million specifically earmarked for purchasing fire equipment, including fire engines and water tankers. However, he disclosed that instead of ensuring cost-effectiveness, government officials have engaged in dubious contracts that have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in unjustified markups.
Kollie detailed how the current administration inherited an unpaid debt of $561,000 from an agreement signed by the previous government with Cactus Motors in August 2022. The deal covered the procurement of eight Foton fire water tankers, one ambulance, and two pickups. The Boakai administration made an initial payment of $332,758.40 in March 2024, leaving a balance of $1.4 million from the allocated $2 million. However, Kollie questioned how this remaining amount was being used, citing evidence of egregious price inflation.
He revealed that the LNFS awarded contracts to six foreign-owned vendors: ABK Motors, GBK Motors, Cactus Motors, United Motors Company (UMC), Matelco, and Auto Med. The first installment of these contracts amounted to $1,141,000, with $670,908 already paid. Kollie noted that these vendors charged prices that were significantly higher than those offered by suppliers in China, from whom he independently obtained proforma invoices.
“The LNFS claims to have spent $780,000 for six fire engines (1500 gallons). However, when we placed the same order with a Chinese supplier, we were offered the same equipment for $268,800, including shipment. The supplier even offered to reduce the price to $235,000. This means Liberia has lost $511,200 just on six fire engines, an amount that could have bought twelve more fire engines,” Kollie asserted.
The activist further pointed out additional losses, including $40,000 overpricing on a 5,000-gallon water tanker, $70,000 on two 3,000-gallon water tankers, and $24,000 on three pickups. He also criticized the LNFS for diverting $75,400 for repairs and maintenance, $100,000 for fuel, and $25,000 for special operations. These, he argued, should have been covered by other budgetary allocations, not the fire equipment fund.
In a previous exposé, Kollie documented a separate loss of $324,000 in an earlier procurement deal, bringing the total lost to date to over $900,000. He has promised to release further details on additional questionable purchases, including motorbikes, utility vehicles, and uniforms.
“We call on President Boakai to open an independent investigation into these whopping, unjustifiable, and shady procurement transactions,” Kollie urged. “Liberia probably needs an Agency for Government Efficiency (AGE). It is time to crack down on procurement fraud across all 104 government spending entities. Tens of millions could be saved and reinvested to spur growth and development in energy, agriculture, job creation, and infrastructure. The suffering in Liberia is artificial. It is man-made, incentivized by greed and graft. President Boakai must act fast.”
