The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kingdom Business Inc. (KBI), Mr. L. Swansey Fallah, has raised serious allegations against the Ministry of Health (MOH), accusing the institution of interference in the procurement process and awarding contracts to preferred companies without following proper procedures. According to Fallah, his company submitted bids for two significant government projects but claims that these were not processed through the required legal channels.
Speaking to the media recently, Mr. Fallah outlined his frustration with the ongoing procurement issues, specifically citing the award of contracts for the upgrade of the Bo-Waterside Health Center Civic Work in Grand Cape Mount County and the construction of the Neuropsychiatric/Mental Health Hospital, including the completion of the Ministry of Health Partners Building. Fallah alleged that both contracts were awarded to American Eagle Construction Company and Interior Perspective LLC, respectively, without adhering to the mandatory bidding process.
“I have raised several concerns with Health Minister Dr. Louise Mapleh Kpoto and the Executive Director of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), but nothing has been done about it. There are strong indications of lobbying by senior officials at the Ministry of Health, which is a direct violation of the procurement laws,” Mr. Fallah stated.
In addition to these allegations, Mr. Fallah claimed that during a site visit to one of the project locations, Assistant Minister for Administration Richard D. Kollie provided an official government vehicle to personnel of Interior Perspective LLC, a move he described as a clear conflict of interest and a violation of procurement regulations.
“This is a blatant disregard of procurement laws. When questioned, Minister Kollie justified his actions by saying that Interior Perspective LLC did not have transportation, but that explanation doesn’t hold water,” Fallah added.
Kingdom Business Inc. (KBI), a leading construction firm in Liberia, has over 25 earth-moving equipment and has successfully executed more than 50 government and non-government projects over the years. Despite this, Fallah argued that the bidding process was not transparent and that his company was treated unfairly.
KBI submitted a bid for the construction of the Neuropsychiatric/Mental Health Hospital in Bentol City, Montserrado County, which passed the preliminary stage of evaluation. However, the company was informed that its evaluation score of 97.89 out of 100 was too low, with the absence of a site foreman certificate cited as the primary reason.
“We were told that we did not qualify because we failed to submit a site foreman certificate, even though we had submitted the foreman’s CV. That was the only difference between us and the winning bidder, who scored just 0.11 points higher than us. This is highly suspicious and raises serious doubts about the integrity of the bidding process,” Mr. Fallah explained.
He went on to express concerns that the company’s bid was deliberately scored lower than that of Interior Perspective LLC, which received preferential treatment throughout the entire procurement process.
In a response from the Ministry of Health, a document obtained by the Daily Observer provides an explanation of KBI’s bid evaluation. According to the document, KBI’s technical score was 68 and its financial score was 29.89, resulting in a total combined score of 97.89, which placed KBI just 0.11 points behind the winning bidder. The document cited the absence of a site foreman certificate as the main reason for KBI’s lower score, despite the submission of a CV for the foreman.
“In response to your request concerning the Ministry’s procurement process, reference (IFB. Ref#: No. MOH/PSIU/NCB/003/2024) for which you submitted on November 8, 2024, for the construction of the Neuropsychiatric/Mental Hospital in Bentol City, Montserrado County, Liberia: After careful evaluation of your bid by the independent evaluation panel, your bid passed the preliminary stage and was sent to the technical evaluation, where scoring was conducted as indicated in the bidding document. Your technical score is 68, and your financial score is 29.89, giving you a total combined score of 97.89. This score places you 0.11 points below your competitor. One weakness that led to your lower score was the absence of a certificate for the foreman, even though you submitted his CV,” the Ministry’s response stated.
However, Mr. Fallah strongly disputes the evaluation process and believes that KBI’s score was unfairly manipulated. “We were clearly the better bidder with better qualifications, but somehow, we lost out on a technicality that could easily have been corrected. This looks like an intentional attempt to sideline us,” he said.
In an attempt to address these concerns, Fallah reached out to both the Ministry of Health and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) for a resolution but, according to him, no significant action has been taken thus far. The matter has since been forwarded to the PPCC for further review.
The Daily Observer also contacted the Ministry of Health for further comments, and officials confirmed that the issue is currently under review by the PPCC.
“The Ministry of Health has received your inquiry, and we wish to inform you that this matter is currently before the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission for further review. The Ministry is committed to upholding the integrity of the procurement process and will cooperate fully with the PPCC in resolving this issue,” a Ministry spokesperson said.
Pending the outcome of the PPCC review, Kingdom Business Inc. continues to call for a transparent, fair, and impartial procurement process in all government contracts, emphasizing the need for accountability in public procurement to avoid similar disputes in the future.
