Liberia: Deputy Minister of Finance, Bill McGill Jones Nonetheless Defiant Despite US Embassy Confirmation That Letter in Assist of Company Awarded Controversial $US322K Contract was Falsified
Monrovia – Bill McGill Jones, the Deputy Minister for Administration on the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, has discovered himself in a storm of controversy following revelations that he introduced a falsified U.S. Embassy doc to justify a $322,441 contract awarded below questionable circumstances.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
The fraudulent doc, which Minister Jones claimed validated the procurement course of and the corporate awarded the contract, has been uncovered as a fabrication. When contacted by FrontPage Africa, the U.S. Embassy distanced itself from the doc, saying it’s pretend.
In addition to the disputed U.S. Embassy letter, FrontPage Africa has obtained a number of different suggestion letters used to justify the contract award. With the Embassy’s rebuttal, considerations are rising over the legitimacy of those paperwork as effectively.
The contract, awarded to the Elite Group of Companies for portray and structural evaluation, has been the topic of intense scrutiny amid accusations of self-dealing involving senior officers on the Ministry. The subject has gained widespread consideration on social media, prompting public outcry and requires accountability.
Deputy Minister Jones, one of many officers implicated, defended the procurement course of. He claims the contract was awarded transparently and in compliance with the Public Procurement and Concessions Act. Jones additional asserted that the Elite Group of Companies was chosen based mostly on suggestions from a number of respected establishments, together with the U.S. Embassy.
The disputed letter
The falsified letter, dated November 1, 2024, and titled “Letter of Recommendation for Successful Performance of Contract for Renovation and Painting at the Old U.S. Embassy Compound,” praises the Elite Group of Companies for its alleged monitor file of high quality work. The letter reads, partly: “Elite Contractor & Global Service has an outstanding track record for quality works and an impeccable reputation for service delivery. I can assure you that if selected for contract award, Elite will definitely stand up to its reputation for successful completion.”
FrontPage Africa noticed a number of options within the letter that questioned its authenticity. The phrase “To Whom it May Concern” is written as “To who it may concern.” Instead of “Please do not hesitate to contact me,” the creator wrote “contract.” Despite the Embassy’s rejection of the letter, Deputy Minister Jones continues to insist on its authenticity.
FrontPageAfrica’s retraction
The scandal erupted after FrontPage Africa, counting on the pretend communication, revealed a narrative suggesting that the U.S. Embassy had endorsed the corporate concerned and that Minister Jones was vindicated from allegations of self-dealing. Following the U.S. Embassy’s clarification, FPA has since acknowledged the error and retracted its publication.
The controversial contract
The pretend doc is a part of a broader controversy surrounding the $322,441 contract, which allotted $244,441 for portray and $78,000 for structural evaluation. Critics questioned the exorbitant value and alleged that the contracts have been awarded to corporations linked to Minister Jones and Assistant Minister Paul Lamin.
Conflict of curiosity violates Liberia’s Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA) of 2005, which mandates transparency and prohibits public officers from benefiting from procurement processes.
Jones dismissed allegations of battle of curiosity surrounding the 2 contracts. He described the accusations as “false, misleading, and a deliberate smear campaign” geared toward tarnishing his status. Minister Jones, in December acknowledged that the procurement course of adopted Liberia’s Public Procurement and Concessions Law.
“The procurement process was carried out transparently, with strict adherence to all applicable laws and guidelines,” he mentioned. He clarified that the contracts have been evaluated and awarded by an unbiased Bid Evaluation Panel, free from interference by him or different senior Ministry officers. Dismissing claims of favoritism, Minister Jones denied that his organic brother had any ties to the profitable corporations. “The allegations are baseless. Having a connection to
A historical past of allegations
This shouldn’t be the primary time Jones has been tied to allegations of awarding defective contracts. Eric Akoi, former Procurement Director of the Ministry of Finance, in May 2024, accused Jones of wrongfully dismissing him. Jones had mentioned Akoi was suspended for contract-fixing and questionable transactions, one thing that subsequently led to his dismissal. However, Akoi claimed he was fired as a result of he refused to violate procurement procedures.
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning had entered right into a contractual settlement with RoviaGate Technology, LLC, represented by Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Oliver Wleh Klark, Jr., in February 2024. The contract, price $200,000, included the annual replace and implementation of the Budget Management System for Fiscal Year 2024.
Akoi alleged the contract was awarded exterior of the PPCC regulation. He accused Jones of requesting him to extend the price of the Budget Management System Contract the Ministry signed with RoviaGate Technology, LLC from $180,000 to $240,000, with the surplus $60,000 as his signature price.
According to him, the service supplier had already agreed throughout the negotiation to carry out the service for $180,000 throughout the similar turnaround time because the $200,000. But when the paperwork have been introduced to Mr. Jones for his signature on February 9, 2024, he refused on the grounds that he wanted to know what was out there for him earlier than affixing his signature.
“He was informed that we had concluded with the vendor to maintain the same cost of $180,000 and that no additional amount was added because there were no significant additional deliverables. It was at this point that DMA Jones instructed for an increment to $240,000, to which I declined,” Akoi alleged.
Ministry’s response
The Ministry denied Akoi’s claims and acknowledged the Budget Management System contract was awarded to RoviaGate Technology, LLC in keeping with established legal guidelines. In a press release, the Ministry mentioned the contract for the execution of the undertaking adhered strictly to the laws of the Public Procurement and Concession Act of 2010.
The Ministry famous that the justification for choosing the $200,000 possibility was based mostly on the four-week turnaround interval supplied by the seller and the urgent have to resubmit the draft funds to the legislature, in addition to to facilitate the configuration, improve, and upkeep companies for the Budget Management System to supply the Budget Book for Fiscal Year 2024.
However, Akoi reiterated that his dismissal was a results of his refusal to inflate the agreed quantity with the seller with out ample justification. “Considering that I had bought enough time, yet he was still bent on having his way in contrast to the law, I requested him to send me an email or give me a written instruction for the increment. He then wrote on the previous communication instructing me to change the contract figure from $180,000 to $200,000,” Akoi acknowledged.
With Akoi out, one other allegation of contract manipulation has surfaced once more. This time, it entails a falsified letter of advice that Jones is claiming got here from the U.S. Embassy.
The Embassy’s denial has amplified requires a complete investigation into the contract-awarding course of on the MFDP. Critics argue that if the letter is certainly fabricated, it raises severe considerations about integrity and governance throughout the Ministry. In the wake of the newest improvement, there are rising requires Jones to be suspended and positioned below investigation, with some suggesting the probe ought to cowl the 2024 RoviaGate Technology contract as effectively.
