Cummings’ ANC Party Submits Formal Complaint For Corruption Probe
PHOTO: (L-R) Controversial Foya US$10M complex and ANC leader Alexander B. Cummings
The reported secrecy surrounding the project’s execution may constitute deliberate circumvention of transparency and accountability safeguards established under Liberian laws.
The opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) of Alexander B. Cummings has taken the debate over the controversial US$6-10 million complex Liberia’s northwestern town of Foya one step further, making a formal request to Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to launch investigation into possible corruption.
The nature of the public and private funding is also shrouded in secrecy, with no public knowledge of allocation in the national fiscal budget, neither was there any official, public groundbreaking ceremony held. NEWS ANALYSIS: More Questions Than Answers, As Boakai Gov’t Breaks Silence On Multi-Million Foya Project – News Public Trust
In a press statement issued in Monrovia on Wednesday, May 28, 2026, the ANC gives details of its 6-count complaint to the LACC.
awFULL TEXT OF ANC PRESS STATEMENT BELOW:
A formal request from the Alternative National Congress (ANC) urging the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to launch an independent investigation into alleged irregularities, secrecy, and misuse of state-owned enterprise funds in the Mano River Union Center for Regional Peace and Development project in Foya, Lofa County:
RE: REQUEST FOR FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE MANO RIVER UNION (MRU) CENTER FOR REGIONAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN FOYA, LOFA COUNTY
Dear Madam Chairperson:
The Alternative National Congress (ANC), respectfully submits this formal request for an immediate, independent, and comprehensive investigation into the construction, financing, procurement, authorization, and management of the so-called Mano River Union (MRU) Center for Regional Peace and Development project currently underway in Foya, Lofa County.
Recent public disclosures, official government statements, investigative media reports, and growing public concern have raised profound questions regarding the legality, transparency, accountability, and constitutional compliance surrounding this multimillion-dollar undertaking. These concerns strike at the very heart of Liberia’s public financial management architecture, procurement integrity system, and democratic governance framework.
Publicly available information indicates that construction on the project reportedly commenced on or about September 10, 2024, under conditions described by multiple sources as a “National Secret” initiative. Subsequent government clarifications acknowledged that the project is fully owned by the Government of Liberia and financed primarily through contributions from State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), including but not limited to NASSCORP, the National Port Authority (NPA), the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), and the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).
The ANC is deeply concerned by allegations and admissions suggesting that:
- Significant public funds may have been committed and expended outside the approved national budgetary framework and without legislative appropriation as required under the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act and Article 34 of the Constitution of Liberia;
- The project may have bypassed mandatory procurement and competitive bidding procedures established under the Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCC Act);
- Public resources under the control of SOEs may have been redirected absent transparent disclosure, legislative oversight, or independent auditing mechanisms;
- Contradictory public statements regarding the project’s ownership, funding sources, purpose, authorization, and total cost have materially undermined public trust and raised legitimate suspicion of potential abuse of public office and misuse of state resources;
- The reported secrecy surrounding the project’s execution may constitute deliberate circumvention of transparency and accountability safeguards established under Liberian law.
Accordingly, the Alternative National Congress respectfully calls upon the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to:
- Immediately commence a full-scale investigation into the financing, procurement, contracting, authorization, and implementation of the project;
- Determine whether any provisions of the PFM Act, PPCC Act, Penal Law, anti-corruption statutes, or other applicable laws were violated;
- Identify all public officials, private contractors, entities, intermediaries, and institutions involved in the approval, financing, and execution of the project;
- Examine all financial transfers, procurement records, contracts, memoranda, approvals, and SOE disbursement mechanisms associated with the project;
- Recommend appropriate criminal, civil, administrative, or restitutionary actions where violations are established;
- Publish the findings of such investigation in the interest of transparency, public confidence, and democratic accountability.
The ANC wishes to emphasize that this request is not intended to oppose legitimate national development or regional cooperation initiatives. Rather, it reflects our firm conviction that development must always proceed within the framework of constitutional governance, fiscal transparency, procurement integrity, and the rule of law.
Liberia’s democratic future depends not merely upon what projects are undertaken, but how they are undertaken.
No public official, institution, or political interest should be permitted to operate above the law or beyond public scrutiny.
We therefore urge the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to act expeditiously, independently, and courageously in fulfillment of its constitutional and statutory mandate.
Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
The Alternative National Congress (ANC)
Desmond U. Nimely
Secretary General
Cllr. Lafayette E. O. Gould
Chairman
Cc:
– The President Pro Tempore, Liberian Senate
– The Speaker, House of Representatives
– General Auditing Commission (GAC)
– Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC)
– Ministry of Justice
– Diplomatic Community
– Civil Society Organizations