US$58M ‘Secret’ In Yellow Machines Deal Lingers

The staggering US$58 million ‘secret’ in the purchase of the much-anticipated 285 pieces of the earth-moving yellow machines continue lingering by drawing more questions than answer.

With that development, Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung has revealed a jaw-dropping US$58 million discrepancy in the Boakai administration’s controversial yellow machines deal raising serious concerns of attempted corruption at the highest level.

VP Koung concern was raised following what critics described as a classic of inflated contracts and ghostly dealings in the purchase of the contentious machines.

Initially tagged at a staggering US$80 million, the cost of the yellow earth-moving equipment purportedly for nationwide roadwork was quietly slashed to US$22 million following Koung’s intervention.

Instead of celebrating VP Koung for his strict forward dealing in the purchase of the machines, the move has sparked public outrage and fresh questions: as to who was planning to pocket the US$58 million difference?

Koung, who spoke to Liberians in the U.S. recently, claimed that through his negotiation, the government secured 256 pieces of road construction equipment for just US$22 million a far cry from the earlier estimated US$80 million and even lower than the US$43 million first pitched by vendors.

“This is a huge save for the country,” Koung said, but transparency advocates are not buying into the whirl.

Watchdogs, journalists and opposition voices argue the “savings” only expose a potentially orchestrated scheme to defraud the state.

“We were almost robbed,” a civil society activist told a local newspaper (The Liberian Investigator.)

“If Koung had not stepped in, this would have gone down as one of the largest procurement scams in recent memory.”

The controversy gained traction when Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah admitted to ‘fresh report’ that the equipment was already being shipped to Monrovia despite no approved contract and no legislative or PPCC (Public Procurement and Concession Commission) clearance.

That premature action from two of Boakai’s confidents ignited suspicions of a secret deal already in motion, possibly with padded figures and backdoor beneficiaries.

Following public backlash, the government claimed no agreement had been signed and negotiations were “still ongoing.”

But Koung’s update implies that the deal was well underway with or without due process.

To date, no contract has been made public, no competitive bidding process has been revealed and no independent audit has confirmed the actual value of the machines.

Civil society groups are left piecing together the puzzle through leaks and unofficial statements.

Pres. Boakai himself admitted “errors” in the process. To that, critics downplay the gravity of constitutional breaches and procurement violations.

Among the concerns are importing without legislative approval, bypassing the PPCC and excluding key oversight bodies.

“This is not just poor planning, but it reeks of deliberate corruption,” one anti-graft advocate said.

“There was a plan to eat US$58 million of the people’s money. The Vice President stopped it, yes—but who started it?”

Analysts warn against turning Koung’s intervention into a political win without proper accountability.

“The fact that the price was cut only tells us how bloated the original figure was. Someone needs to answer for that,” a policy analyst noted.

Pressure is now mounting on the Legislature, the Ministry of Justice, and the PPCC to launch a full investigation, publish all relevant documents and hold those responsible for the initial proposal accountable.

“Liberia cannot afford another white elephant scandal,” one editorial stated. “We need roads, not corruption dressed in yellow paint.”

While the reduced cost may save millions, the scandal has once again exposed a painful truth: until corruption is punished and not just ‘corrected,’ Liberia’s development will remain a mirage.  By Amos Godgift