Published: December 15, 2025
Former LTA Chair, Abdullah Kamara
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia — Criminal Court ‘C’ has ordered the corruption case involving former Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) chairman Abdullai L. Kamara transferred to the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Buchanan after granting his motion for a change of venue, citing constitutional guarantees for a speedy and fair trial.
Judge Ousman F. Feika approved the motion over the weekend, clearing the way for the case to proceed during the February 2026 term of court in Grand Bassa County. Kamara argued that most of his material witnesses are expected to travel outside Liberia early next year, and moving the case is necessary to ensure their availability.
Kamara was initially cleared of charges on August 1, 2025, but was re-arrested on September 4 after prosecutors returned with a fresh indictment.
Re-Indictment Rekindles High-Profile Case
In early September 2025, a Montserrado County grand jury issued a new true bill re-indicting Kamara on six corruption charges tied to the Liberia Digital Transformation Project. He was briefly detained at the Monrovia Central Prison before securing a criminal appearance bond of US$295,033.33.
The 12-page indictment, prepared by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and signed by Chief Prosecutor Cllr. Bobby F. W. Livingstone, accuses Kamara and Tamma Corporation, through CEO Fabian Laveland, of benefiting from payments made at the LTA in 2023 without bidding, contracts or Board approval. The funds, according to the indictment, were processed under the pretext of Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
Grand jury forelady Grace L. Gbelawoe and five jurors marked the instrument “TRUE BILL,” advancing the matter to Criminal Assizes “A” for the August 2025 term, presided over by Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie. Kamara now faces allegations of economic sabotage, fraud on the internal revenue, misuse of public money, theft, misapplication of entrusted property, and related conspiracy charges.
Why Prosecutors Returned With a New Bill
Court filings show that prosecutors renewed the case for three central reasons. The first concerns procurement violations. They argue that the LTA selected Tamma Corporation to run the digital project outside of the legally required Public Procurement and Concessions Commission procedures, without competitive bidding or justification.
The second factor focuses on payments allegedly made without a contract or an approved scope of work. The indictment outlines withdrawals from the LTA operational account, including US$54,500 and L$22.5 million transferred on May 18–19, 2023, followed by further disbursements between June and November 2023 that prosecutors say totaled US$1.2 million. The state contends that none of these payments was supported by a written contract, Board approval, or documentation establishing deliverables.
The final factor relates to procedural alignment. When the grand jury returned a new true bill clearly laying out the statutory theories, Criminal Court C ordered Kamara’s re-arrest to bring him fully under the authority of the updated charges while bond was considered. A judiciary official familiar with the process told The Liberian Investigator that the bond amount reflects the alleged financial exposure uncovered by investigators.
The Paper Trail Prosecutors Say They Followed
The indictment grounds the alleged scheme in a proposal titled “The National Transformation Initiative for Liberia,” which Tamma Corporation developed in May 2023 to promote digital awareness and youth empowerment. Records show that Tamma, incorporated in 2012, listed Kamara as an incorporator, shareholder and former CEO.
A letter dated June 16, 2023, from then–Minister of State for Presidential Affairs G. Wesseh Blamoh, instructed LTA Chair Edwina Crump Zackpah to secure funding for the digital transformation project and recommended including Tamma in the implementation committee. According to investigators, this recommendation preceded the payments later made without procurement processes or contractual safeguards.
Investigators reported finding no contract, no scope of work, and no Board-approved authorization for the payments. The indictment also references a September 20, 2023 letter from Blamoh directing the digital transformation committee to include 231 Data Inc., which prosecutors describe as further evidence of executive influence on the project’s design and execution.
What Investigators Say Happened — And What They Acknowledge
Prosecutors aim to show that Kamara held a dual role as a former Tamma executive and an alleged beneficiary of LTA funds authorized by then-Chair Zackpah. They assert that more than US$1.2 million was withdrawn from the LTA operational account without Board authorization and that the funds “cannot be accounted for.”
However, investigators acknowledge that Tamma submitted a performance report detailing digital skills training in all 15 counties. Confirmation calls were also made to participants who reported receiving training in areas such as general digital skills, digital marketing, GIS, data collection and e-commerce. Despite this, prosecutors argue that the documentation does not demonstrate legal compliance, value for money, or justification for the scale of the expenditures.
Statutes the State Is Leaning On
The prosecution’s legal theories rest on sections of the Penal Code governing economic sabotage, misuse of public money, theft, misapplication of entrusted property, illegal disbursement of public money and related conspiracy statutes. Economic sabotage under Section 15.80 is categorized as a first-degree felony and includes acts that knowingly enable or facilitate the defrauding of the Government of Liberia. Other cited statutes criminalize unauthorized conversion of public funds, failure to account for government property and receipt of illegally obtained government assets.
Defense Position and Presumption of Innocence
Kamara has previously denied wrongdoing in public statements addressing earlier stages of the case. As of Tuesday, no formal response to the latest indictment had been filed on the public docket reviewed by The Liberian Investigator. Under Liberian law, indictment is only an accusation. Kamara and Tamma Corporation remain presumed innocent unless the state proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
His legal team secured a criminal appearance bond, which allows him temporary liberty while awaiting arraignment and trial. The bond serves as a guarantee of his return to court and may be forfeited if he fails to appear.
Why the Venue Change Was Granted
His successful motion drew on Article 21(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a speedy trial, and aligns with Chapter 5.7 of Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law. He argued that several key witnesses are preparing to travel outside Liberia, making a February 2026 hearing feasible only if the case is moved.
Discussion about this post