MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyumah Boakai may have been misled by key members of his inner circle into approving a controversial $44 million biometric identification contract, fresh evidence and sources close to the Executive Mansion suggest. The approval allegedly came despite a clear rejection from the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC).
The deal, intended to produce national biometric ID cards through Austrian firm OSD International, was pursued under Executive Order No. 147. While the Central Bank of Liberia and the National Identification Registry (NIR) briefly began issuing these IDs, the process was abruptly halted, officially due to “administrative concerns.”
According to multiple sources who spoke with GNN Liberia, top presidential aides, including Mamaka Bility, Molley Kamara, and Samuel Koffi Woods, allegedly concealed the PPCC’s July 7, 2025, rejection of the contract. The PPCC had denied the NIR’s June 10 application to award the deal directly to OSD, instead mandating a competitive bidding process as required by Sections 96 and 97 of the PPCC Act of 2010.
In a move that has raised further questions, President Boakai issued a memo on July 5—two days before the PPCC’s formal rejection—authorizing Woods to chair a ten-member committee. The committee was tasked with “finalizing the selection of a contractor” and, critically, to “uphold the contract signed with OSD” to avoid “legal implications.” Members included representatives from the ministries of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, NIR, the Central Bank, the National Elections Commission, the president’s senior economic adviser, and the President’s Delivery Unit.
“Recognizing the legal implications and the urgency of a timely resolution, it is hereby mandated that the previous procurement process be upheld,” Boakai’s memo stated, referencing the existing contract between NIR, LTA, and OSD.
The PPCC’s rejection letter had sharply criticized the NIR for failing to use the correct concession plan template for a public-private partnership and had ordered the agency to comply fully with procurement law. The commission emphasized the need for transparency, accountability, and fairness to maintain public confidence.
Despite this directive, sources say the NIR did not comply, as pressure from influential figures around the president intensified to push the OSD deal forward. This controversy is already drawing comparisons to the government’s disputed “yellow machines” earthmoving equipment deal, which also faced criticism for alleged procedural breaches and inflated costs.