By Henry B. Gboluma, Jr.
MONROVIA – As part of an ongoing investigation, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has announced travel restrictions against several current and former officials connected to three yellow machines’ procurement and transfer from the Free Port of Monrovia to Gbarpolu County.
The machines reportedly purchased at the cost of US$425,000 for, fully paid by the previous administration of Gbarpolu County, are now under scrutiny amid allegations of corruption and misappropriation.
Those affected by the LACC announced travel restrictions are the former and current Gbarpolu County Superintendents, J. Keyah Saah and Sam K. Zinnah.
Others are Gbarpolu’s former Project Management Committee (PMC) Chairman, Robert Benda; the county’s ex-Fiscal Affairs Superintendent, Anthony Yorkor; and Omoru Sheriff, CEO of City Lion.
Superintendent Zinnah is under investigation for his role in relocating the machines from the Freeport of Monrovia to Gbarpolu’s capital, Bopolu City, where the equipment remain parked under suspicion of lacking proper ownership documentation, as well as allegedly not being in a functional condition.
In a communication dated July 1, 2025, and addressed to the Commissioner General of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Elijah F. Rufus, the LACC narrated that investigation involving these individuals is at an advanced stage, inferring that the imposition of travel restrictions on them was necessary.
The LACC in its July 1 communication emphasized that it is committed to due process, indicating that indictments are forthcoming in the ongoing investigation regarding the yellow machines.
To prevent the officials currently being probed from fleeing the country and to safeguard the integrity of the ongoing investigation, the LACC in its communication requested LIS to bar any and/ or all of these individuals from leaving Liberia through all border points including seaports and airports until further notice.
The travel restrictions directive signed by LACC Executive Chairperson, Cllr. Alexandra Kormah Zoe, was also copied to the office of Liberia’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Cllr, Natu Aswald Tweh; the Liberia National Police; National Security Agency; and the Financial Intelligence Agency.
Meanwhile, in addition to the Gbarpolu officials, LACC also slammed the travel restrictions on six suspended former officials of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, as well as three others from the National Oil Company of Liberia, and four from the Liberia Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), all for ongoing alleged corruption investigations.
