Newly surfaced documents reveal that the Unity Party (UP) government under President Joseph Boakai secretly agreed to pay two suspended Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) commissioners $100,000 each to resign amid corruption allegations, igniting fresh questions over the administration’s anti-corruption commitment.
The leaked agreements, obtained by FrontPage Africa, show that Israel Akinsanya and Zotawon D. Titus—among five commissioners suspended in April 2024 for alleged financial misconduct—were offered generous, tax-free severance packages spread across four installments during the 2025 fiscal year.
The contracts also granted the officials legal immunity and permission to keep personal equipment used during their tenure, with minimal obligations to return stored telecommunications data.
“It is understood and agreed that this Release/Receipt Document is executed by me in favor of the LTA, releasing the Board of Commissioners, Management, and successors from all liabilities arising out of or connected with my services at the LTA,” one clause reads, effectively barring future civil claims.
However, Clarence Massaquoi, the LTA Chairperson-Designate, denied any knowledge of such settlements during his Senate confirmation hearing, stating, “Before me, I have no contracts.
This Board has not received a contract.” He acknowledged discussions about resignations but dismissed the existence of formal agreements.
The controversy follows a constitutional crisis in early 2024 when President Boakai attempted to replace commissioners despite a Supreme Court ruling protecting their fixed four-year terms under the 2007 Telecommunications Act. After suspending the commissioners, the government reportedly sought financial arrangements to facilitate their exit, a move critics see as circumventing judicial authority.
In a letter to the Senate President Pro Tempore, Akinsanya and Titus confirmed signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the acting LTA leadership in December 2024 aimed at settling payments to clear the way for new appointments. They allege the agreement remains unfulfilled, undermining the legitimacy of current vacancies.
The revelations have provoked public outrage. Activist Jeremiah Smith condemned the deals as “an act of bribery,” saying, “You suspend people on corruption allegations and secretly pay them to resign. That’s not fighting corruption—that’s facilitating it.”
As Liberia continues to grapple with governance challenges, this episode casts doubt on the Boakai administration’s pledge of zero tolerance for corruption, fueling calls for transparency and accountability within the telecommunications sector and beyond.
About The Author
