By Contributing Writer
MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Publisher of the People’s Newspaper, Alfred Togba, has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. to immediately suspend the Board of Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) pending investigations into allegations of corruption, embezzlement and conflict of interest at the institution.
Speaking during a radio interview, Togba said his organization has formally petitioned both the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to investigate alleged financial improprieties involving the LTA.
According to him, the complaints, addressed to LACC Executive Chairperson Cllr. Alexandra K. Zoe and Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson, were submitted after the LTA allegedly failed to respond to concerns previously raised.
“The LACC was created to investigate corruption in public institutions, while the GAC has the statutory responsibility to audit government entities. Since the LTA remained mute on the issues we raised, we decided to petition the appropriate institutions,” Togba said.
He alleged that the GAC should urgently intervene because of what he described as attempts by LTA officials to backdate a contract involving a company identified as Nontel.
Togba claimed that the telecommunications company lacked the operational capacity to provide international gateway monitoring services and questioned payments allegedly made to the company.
He further challenged LTA officials to publicly identify the company’s operational office and ownership, maintaining that serious questions remain unanswered regarding the firm’s existence and qualifications.
The People’s Newspaper publisher also urged President Boakai to apply the same anti-corruption standards to the LTA as he has done with other public officials facing allegations of wrongdoing.
Referring to previous actions taken by the President against officials linked to corruption allegations, Togba cited the suspensions of Ernest Hughes, former Managing Director of the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA); Christopher Sankolo, former Director General of the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA); GLS Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Kamara; and Peter Malcolm King, a former member of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) Board. He argued that similar action should be taken against the LTA commissioners while investigations are ongoing.
“The guy, Peter Malcolm King, who was a board member, is not mentioned anywhere in this ongoing US$19 million trust case, but because his company, GLS, is involved, today the President suspended him,” Togba said. “We want the President not to be selective in the fight against corruption.”
Togba called for the suspension of the entire LTA Board of Commissioners while investigations by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission proceed.
He suggested that an interim management team be appointed to oversee the affairs of the telecommunications regulator until the investigations are concluded.
According to him, allowing the current commissioners to remain in office during the investigation could create opportunities to influence the outcome of the probe.
Togba also disclosed plans to organize what he described as a “massive citizens’ action” at the headquarters of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority. He said organizers intend to apply for a permit from the Ministry of Justice to stage the demonstration in an effort to draw the President’s attention to what he characterized as serious financial improprieties at the institution.
