Public Procurement and Concessions Commission Press Statement
On October 13, 2010, the day on which the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission launched its amended and restated enabling legislation, the Commission received information meant for public consumption through the medium of newspapers and radio that the Executive Director, Ms. Peggy Varflay-Meres, and Technical Advisor, Mr. Joseph Neufville, to the Commission had been summarily dismissed by the President. The reported dismissal was said to be on account of their implications in a pilot Carbon Credit Forestry contract sponsored by the Forestry Development Authority that never materialized. Their implications were contained in the Report of the Special Presidential Investigation Committee chaired by Counselor T. Negbalee Warner.
The Commission had not received, at the time, a formal communication on the matter, nor a copy of the Warner Committee report for its review. The concerned staff members are key personnel of the Secretariat. They are appointed by and subject to dismissal by the Commission in keeping with the law.
The Commission received official communication from the Office of the President on Friday, October 15, 2010 submitting a copy of the report to the Commission for its perusal and action. The Commission will carefully and meticulously study the report and solicit the formal reactions of the two staff members implicated in the matter. The Commission has directed that the two concerned staff members should review the report and present their formal reactions to the Commission by the deadline established. Upon the Commissionís review of the report and receipt of the reactions of the two staff members concerned, it will take appropriate and timely actions in the matter and inform the President and, thereafter, all other stakeholders accordingly. The Commission assures the President and all stakeholders that due process characterized by transparency, accountability, and judicial fairness will be ensured in this matter.
Meanwhile, the Commission has sought and obtained clarification from the President that she did not fire the two personnel of the Commission in appreciation of the independence of the Commission which makes members of the Secretariat answerable to the Commission. The Commission appreciates this practice of good governance on the part of the President.
The Commission has a moral responsibility to protect its workers who perform duties in the name and interest of the Commission, and will do so vigorously, provided that decisions and actions taken by them are in line with their responsibilities and are at no time compromised by negative, selfish motivations, whatsoever. The Commission rejects and will not condone acts of professional impropriety, especially when it borders on fraud. As an integrity institution, the Commission takes the charges against the two senior members of the Secretariat very seriously as it brings into disrepute the credibility of the institution. Therefore, given the seriousness of the allegations, the Commission has placed the two staff members on administrative leave.
Meanwhile, pending the resolution of this matter, the Commission has directed its Chairman, Professor Willie Belleh, assisted by its Vice Chairperson, Mrs. Esther Paegar, to manage the functions of the Secretariat.
The Commission assures the public, government and private institutions, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and particularly its development partners, that it remains seized and resolved to ensuring transparency and accountability in public procurement and concessions granting in Liberia. It accentuates its commitment to guaranteeing value for money for public procurement expenditures and economic and social value in granting concession rights.
Liberia, as recognized by the international community, has made tremendous progress, in the context of a post-conflict environment, in its governance structures and processes, particularly in public procurement reforms and concessions granting. A number of countries are preparing to come to Liberia to undertake a case study on progress made and lessons learned in these two areas. The Commission appreciates new commitments by its development partners to increase its commitment towards enhancing the capacity of the Commission in areas such as Contract Monitoring. The Commission will remain mindful not to undermine these gains either by its actions or inactions.
