Published: June 11, 2025
KAKATA, Margibi County – A Liberian contractor working for International Consolidated Contractors SAL (Offshore) has accused his Syrian supervisor of assault at a World Bank-funded construction site in Kakata.
George Harmon, who is a contractor working on the Ministry of Education’s Kakata Model School project, told The Liberian Investigator that in late February, his supervisor, identified as Abu Ali, deliberately poured a half bag of high-grade cement (Grade R42.5) on him, causing severe eye injuries.
“When we were working, my boss shoved the man responsible for handling the cement. He opened the bag, and the remaining contents were dumped on my head,” Harmon recounted. “It splashed into my eyes and caused serious burns.”
Harmon said he was rushed to a local health center in Kakata and later transferred to the Water Field Primary Health Center, where medical staff washed his eyes with a liquid solution and gave him sunglasses to protect against light and wind, which worsened the burning sensation.
He further alleged that Ali had a history of physically assaulting him on the job but that he initially dismissed it as “rough joking.” “He was always hitting me. I don’t know what I did to him,” Harmon said.
Harmon claimed that after the February incident, he was asked not to report the matter and was denied one month of compensation despite his injury. He said he eventually filed a complaint with the Margibi Labor Commissioner in May.
Contacted for comment, ICC’s Country Manager, Daniel Mhanna, confirmed the incident but described it as an “occupational injury” rather than a deliberate act. He said the company met with Harmon’s family and agreed to cover medical costs, pending the outcome of a medical examination.
Regional Labor Commissioner Isaac Kamara confirmed the Ministry of Labor’s involvement and said the company has since been ordered to pay Harmon’s outstanding one-month salary. He also noted that Harmon had been transferred to Tappitta Hospital at his family’s request, and ICC agreed to cover all medical expenses.
Kamara and other workers—who spoke on condition of anonymity—alleged that the supervisor, Abu Ali, has a history of aggressive behavior toward Liberian workers.
Harmon said he and other workers had been operating without signed contracts. He claimed that he was only presented with a contract to sign after raising concerns about his health and working conditions.
International Consolidated Contractors (ICC) is a subsidiary of the ICC Group, under ISSA Holding, based in Beirut, Lebanon. The company began operating in Liberia in December 2022 and is registered as a business corporation under offshore status, with limited public information about its local operations.
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