After Edwina Zackpa And Abdullah Kamara Were Caught In LACC Dragnet
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Edwina C. Zackpa, and Mr. Abdullah Kamara, committed the crime of ECONOMNIC SABOTAGE (FRAUD ON THE INTERNAL REVENUE OF LIBERIA, MISUSED OF PUBLIC MONEY, PROPERTY OR RECORDS, AND THEFT AND/OR ILLEGAL DISBURSEMENT AND EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEY), felonies of the first degree, to wit;
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The axe has fallen on two former heads of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), after a corruption investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission recently led to a court indictment.
Contrary to media reports, a leaked indictment has shown that two former heads of LTA namely Edwina Zackpa and Abdullah Kamara are indicted by the grand jury of Montserrado County following an investigation done by the LACC.
The defendants were indicted for the crimes of ECONOMIC SABOTAGE 15,80, (FRAUD ON INTERNAL REVENUE (MISUSED OF PUBLIC MONEY &RECORDS15.81, (THEFT&ILLEGAL DISBURSEMENT (MONEY),(AND EXPEDITURE OF PUBLIC money, THEFT OF PROPERTY, MISAPPLICATION OF ENTRUSTED PROPERTY, CRIMINAL FACILITATION CRIMINAL SOLICITATION and CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY
COUNT 1: ECONOMNIC SABOTAGE
FRAUD ON THE INTERNAL REVENUE OF LIBERIA
Count one of the indictments avers that Defendants, Edwina C. Zackpa, and Mr. Abdullah Kamara, committed the crime of ECONOMNIC SABOTAGE (FRAUD ON THE INTERNAL REVENUE OF LIBERIA, MISUSED OF PUBLIC MONEY, PROPERTY OR RECORDS, AND THEFT AND/OR ILLEGAL DISBURSEMENT AND EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEY), felonies of the first degree, to wit;
The indictment said, from the period (January – December 2023) under review, and in consideration of the revenue sharing arrangement (GOL-29.58% and LTA-21.42%) as per the terms and conditions of the Contract, the Administration of the LTA by directive of the then Chairperson, you Co-defendant Edwina C. Zackpa, Knowingly conspired or colluded to defraud the Government of Liberia by not remitting the total amount of US$3,586,496.97 to the GOL Consolidated account as provided for in the MOU on revenue distribution among the parties; and that same cannot be accounted for.
It furthered That Co-defendant Edwina C. Zackpa, then Chairperson of the LTA, was reminded and asked by the Controller and her fellow Commissioners as to the unremitted revenue shares of the GOL., but you Co-defendant Zackpa refused to authorize the transfer of GOL share of revenue or to give any account of what the funds were used for.
According to the indictment, the action of Co-defendant Edwina C. Zackpa, in the discharge of her duties as Chairperson of the LTA, knowing fully well that the amount of US$3,586,496.97 was during the period January-December 2023, Chairperson, Madam Edwina C. Zackpa did not remit the total amount of US$3,386,496.97 to the GOL Consolidated account as provided for in the MOU on revenue distribution among the parties, and that same cannot be accounted for.
contrary to the initial offered bid price on revenue sharing (TIA-35%, and LTA/GOL-65%), which served as the basis for selecting TIA as the most responsive bidder, and without any change to the terms and conditions specified in the bidding documents, the parties (TIA & LTA) agreed under “Revenue Sharing’ of the Contract to apply a revenue distribution scheme of the total revenues generated in the following categories as listed below:
LTA 51% first 4 years and 55% remaining 4 years:
:TIA 49% first 4 years and 45% remaining 4 years the indictment highlighted.
The indictment stated That, in May of 2023 a Proposal named and styled, ‘the National Transformation Initiative for Liberia’ was formulated, introduced and submitted by the Business Development Team of Tamma Corporation owned and operated by Co-defendant Abdullai Kamara, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tamma Corporation for delivering digital awareness, inclusion and empowerment for Liberian youths to stimulate economic growth.
Accordingly, on January 20, 2012 Tamma Corporation was registered under the Liberia Business Registry as an information technology and computer service activities, television programming and creative, arts and entertainment activities provider, while Mr. Abdullai . Kamara served as its Incorporator and Shareholder.
Furthermore, on June 16, 2023, Hon. G. Wessch Blamoh, then Minister of State for Presidential Affairs wrote a communication (GWB/M-1/MOS/363/2023/RL) to the LTA Chairperson, Hon. Edwina Crump Zackpah directed the LTA to secure funding to roll out the Liberia Digital Transformation Project; and recommended Tamma Corporation te the LTA Management to form part of the Committee for the implementation of the Project.
The process was done without regard to the Public Procurement and Concession Commission’s (PPCC) procedure and regulations, Tamma Corporation was hand-picked as recommended to the LTA by Hon. Wesseh to roll-out Liberia’s Digital Transformation Project without any bidding process in total disregard to the Public Financial Management Laws of Liberia.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission investigation also established that there was no contract entered into between Tamma Corporation and the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) for the implementation of the Liberia Digital Transformation Project (LDTP); no scope of work to measure performance.
In the indictment, all the processes leading to the Liberia Digital Transformation project was done in the absence of a written contract between the LTA and Tamma Corporation, or any scope of work, on May 18 and 19, 2023 Co-defendant Edwina Zackpa as Chairperson of the LTA unilaterally authorized the total payments of USS54,500.00 (USS50,000 and 4,500), and LRS22,500,000 from the operational account of the LTA to Tamma Corporation under the pretext of contributing to Corporate Social Responsibility activities And that the said amounts were paid to Co-defendant Abdullah Kamara, CEO of Tamma.
In the wake of this, the action of Co-defendant Edwina C. Zackpa, in the discharge of her duties as Chairperson of the LTA, by knowingly authorizing the payments of US$54,500.00 and LR$22,500,000 to Co-defendant Abdullah Kamara, CEO of Tamma Corporation, under the pretext of contributing to Corporate Social Responsibility activities; and that said amounts were withdrawn and expended from the operational account of the LTA without authorization from the Board; and that same cannot be accounted for by both Defendants Zackpa and Mr. Kamara,
hence, they both are in violation of the following provisions of the Penal Law of Liberia:
FRAUD ON THE INTERNAL REVENUE OF LIBERIA: A person is guilty of a first-degree felony, if he:
Knowingly conspires or colludes to defraud the Government of Liberia;
Both Defendants’ acts are contrary to: 4LCLR, Title 26, Section 15.80; against the peace and dignity of the Republic of Liberia.
THEFT AND/OR ILLEGAL DISBURSEMENT AND EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEY
That, for the period (January – December 2023) under review, and in consideration of the revenue sharing arrangement (GOL-29.58% and LTA-21.42%) as per the terms and conditions of the Contract, the Administration of the LTA by directive of the then Chairperson, you Co-defendant Edwina C. Zackpa, Knowingly conspired or colluded to defraud the Government of Liberia by not remitting the total amount of US$3,586,496.97 to the GOL Consolidated account as provided for in the MOU on revenue distribution among the parties; and that same cannot be accounted for.
Moreover, you Co-defendant Edwina C. Zackpa, then Chairperson of the LTA, was reminded and asked by the Controller and her fellow Commissioners as to the unremitted revenue shares of the GOL, but you Co-defendant Zackpa refused to authorize the transfer of GOL share of revenue or to give any account of what the funds were used for.
That, the action of Co-defendant Edwina C. Zackpa, in the discharge of her duties as Chairperson of the LTA, knowing full well that the amount of US$3,586,496.97 was Insanidad en ha transferred in the Consolidated Account of the GOL which wasn’t accounted for also.