MoH accused of interference and compromise

The Ministry of Health is facing allegations of a lack of transparency in the bidding process that leads to contract awards.

By Emmanuel Wise Jipoh 

Monrovia, Liberia, February 27, 2025—The Ministry of Health is entangled in allegations of interference and compromise in the bidding process and awarding of construction contracts.

Kingdom Business Incorporated, a private entity here, accuses the Ministry of Health of manipulation and lack of transparency surrounding its bidding process for construction contracts.

Chief Executive Officer of Kingdom Business Inc., L. Swansey Fallah, says construction contracts that should be openly bid for are now being influenced by top government officials.

He expresses anger over the alleged interference in MoH’s procurement process.

According to him, over the years, some top ruling Unity Party officials at the Ministry of Health have interfered in the bidding process.

He suspects that these alleged interferences are intended to award contracts to specific companies that officials have an interest in implementing government projects in return for kickbacks. He notes that the ministry has manipulated and compromised the system without following the government’s rightful bidding procedures.

Mr. Fallah further alleges that two major projects were awarded to American Eagle Construction Company and Interior Prospective LLC without a competitive bidding process, as required by the Procurement Law.

He names said projects as upgrade of the Bo-Waterside Health Center Civic Work in Grand Cape Mount County, Construction of a Mental Health Hospital, including Completion of the Ministry of Health Partners Building that were awarded to the two companies through manipulation by top officials of government within the Ministry.

The Kingdom Business Inc. CEO points out that his company has written several letters to the Minister of Health, Dr. Louise Kpoto, and the Executive Director of the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC), Bodger Scott Johnson, for redress, but to no avail.

He adds that his concerns have not been addressed since then due to reported lobbying by top officials in the Ministry of Health.

He narrates that during a recent site visit to the project site in Bentol City, Assistant Health Minister for Administration Richard D. Kollie used his official vehicle to transport personnel of Interior Perspectives LLC for the site visit, which he notes is a conflict of interest without any regard for PPCC laws.

Mr. Fallah explains that in response to an inquiry on why personnel of the Interior Perspective LLC were taken to the site in the Ministry’s vehicles, Assistant Minister Kollie said it was because the company didn’t have a vehicle to get at the site.

According to Fallah, they had requested the procurement unit of the Ministry of Health to provide notification of intention to complete evaluation of the bidding process to allow a request for debriefing to determine which company won the bid and the reasons for its selection and disqualification of other contractors.

He continues that in the debriefing letter sent to the Kingdom Businesses Inc., it was stated that the principal reason for his company score of 97.89 points out of 100 points was because they didn’t submit a certificate for a site foreman.

But he expresses doubts about fairness of the bidding process, contending that one of his competitors, Interior Perspective, allegedly received special or preferential treatment from the ministry.

When contacted, Assistant Minister of Health for Administration, Richard D. Kollie, earlier declined to comment on the legitimacy of the bidding process, on grounds that the matter is before the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) for adjudication.

“This matter has been taken to the PPCC, and I wouldn’t comment further. Will you please wait on the PPCC for adjudication, because I cannot prejudice the case,” Mr. Kollie replies.

At the same time, the Assistant Manager for American Eagle Construction Company, Rylis Kollie, says that his firm successfully participated in the bidding process. He denies his company’s involvement in any illegal bidding process.

“If you get such information, all I can tell you is that American Eagle was part of various companies that bided for the project. We bided and were awarded the contract legally,” Kollie argues.

However, the Ministry of Health’s director of communication, Augustus Walker, Jr., confirmed that they took some of the bidders to the project site in Bentol City, Montserrado County.

“Yes, we drove with some bidders to the project site because our cars were down, but I can tell you the process was free, fair, and transparent”, he says.

Meanwhile, the Public Procurement Concession Commission, which coordinates procurement processes between government and business contractors to ensure transparency, is currently investigating allegations of irregularities or lack of transparency in the bidding process that led to the awarding of contracts by the Ministry of Health. Editing by Jonathan Browne