MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Supreme Court of Liberia has issued a Writ of Prohibition in favor of Modern Development and Management Corporation (MDMC), effectively halting government efforts to reopen the bidding process for a contract already awarded to the company. The ruling, handed down by Associate Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr., directs multiple government ministries and agencies to cease any actions that could interfere with MDMC’s existing agreement with the Ministry of Transport.
MDMC, which holds a nine-year contract for producing vehicle registration documents and driver’s licenses, sought the court’s intervention after the Ministry of Transport attempted to relaunch the bidding process for the same services. The company argued that the move undermined its legitimate contract and posed a direct violation of the agreement. The Supreme Court’s ruling restrains the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission, and the Liberia Revenue Authority from making any changes to the contract until the case is reviewed. All parties have been summoned to appear before the Supreme Court on February 5, 2025.
Despite this ruling, Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh announced that beginning February 3, 2025, all vehicle registrations, license plate issuance, and driver’s licenses would be exclusively handled by Liberia Traffic Management Incorporated (LTMI), a private firm contracted by the government. The minister warned that any licenses or registrations issued outside of LTMI after the deadline would be considered invalid and not recognized by the Liberia National Police. However, existing documents that remain valid beyond the deadline would still be honored.
This announcement has generated legal and procedural concerns, as it directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s order. The judiciary had explicitly prohibited any government entity from interfering with MDMC’s contract, making the Justice Minister’s directive a potential violation of the court’s ruling.
Commenting on the matter, Cllr. Gabriel Nah told Smart News Liberia on Friday, January 13, 2025, that the Supreme Court’s intervention has brought the issue to a critical juncture. He warned that any continued defiance of the ruling could lead to contempt charges against government officials enforcing the new registration process.
“With the February 5 hearing approaching, the legal battle over Liberia’s vehicle registration system will test the strength of judicial authority against executive decisions,” he concluded.
