MONROVIA — The Senate Public Accounts and Audits Committee has summoned the Ministry of Public Works to appear jointly with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission regarding the abandoned US$990,000 Gbarpolu County chip-seal road project, escalating legislative scrutiny of a contract whose beneficiary collected significant public funds and is now untraceable.
The Committee, chaired by Gbarpolu County Senator Amara M. Konneh, unanimously agreed to the joint summons at the close of a consultative meeting with the LACC leadership on Tuesday, July 14, where the Commission briefed lawmakers on its investigation into the 2.9-kilometer road contract awarded to YSM, Inc. for Bopolu City, the county capital.
The Committee said the technical nature of road construction and engineering makes the ministry's expert assessment necessary before it can act on the Commission's findings, according to a statement issued by the Committee. It said the ministry's professional opinion would strengthen its oversight function and support informed recommendations on accountability and the prudent management of public resources.
The LACC told lawmakers its investigation was launched following a complaint from the Ministry of Public Works itself, after the contractor abandoned the project despite substantial disbursements of public funds. The Commission presented the Committee with an overview of the complaint, its investigative process, preliminary findings and recommendations, after which members pressed for clarification on legal, financial and technical aspects of the probe.
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The Committee took note of the Commission's preliminary recommendations, which include engaging an independent engineering firm to determine whether the government received value for money, intensified efforts to locate the missing contractor, and a joint technical verification exercise with Public Works engineers to establish the actual percentage of work completed against contractual specifications.
The Committee acknowledged the LACC's efforts and stressed that any decisions must be informed by credible technical evidence and serve the best interests of the Liberian people.
"The Committee assures Gbarpolu citizens and the public that it will pursue this matter to its logical conclusion and will continue to provide updates as it progresses," the statement said, adding that its actions would be guided by due process, fairness and the rule of law.
The summons places the Ministry of Public Works in an unusual dual role, appearing before the Senate as both the complainant that triggered the LACC investigation and the technical authority expected to assess how much of the road was actually built.
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