The political arena in Liberia has recently witnessed a surge of misinformation and outright fabrications intended to manipulate public perception surrounding the Acting Chairman of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), Abdullah Kamara.
Amidst serious allegations of corruption, influenced by a General Auditing Commission (GAC) report, Kamara finds himself embroiled in a contentious narrative filled with deceitful claims and disinformation campaigns from various political factions.
The Landscape of Misinformation
Bill Adair, the founder of PolitiFact, confronts the issue of political lying in his newly published book, “Beyond the Big Lie: The Epidemic of Political Lying, Why Republicans Do It More, and How It Could Burn Down Our Democracy.”
Adair’s insights reflect a troubling reality where misinformation damages reputations and alters lives.
He also laments that calling out the fabrications and misinformation has not worked to alter the behavior of political actors and that the internet has made it all worse.
“Lying is not a victimless crime. When politicians choose to lie, there are often people who suffer, and often an individual who suffers a great deal, often someone whose reputation is damaged, whose life is turned upside-down,” he said.
His observations find stark parallels in Kamara’s situation as he faces relentless attacks exploiting half-truths and outright lies.
The GAC Report: What It Actually Says
Kamara’s challenges stem from a GAC audit investigating the Liberia Digital Transformation Project (LDTP) from January through December 2023, a project in which his firm, TAMMA Corp., was involved. Contrary to widely circulated misconceptions, the audit identified procedural irregularities in selecting implementing partners rather than confirming financial misconduct or criminal wrongdoing on the part of Kamara.
Many political figures seized upon the report to call for the suspension of individuals affiliated with President, including Kamara. Following the chorus of calls for action, President Joseph Boakai suspended Kamara on June 16, citing “serious allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.”
However, upon analysis, the GAC’s findings predominantly raised procedural issues related to the hiring of TAMMA Corp. and indicated no direct financial impropriety.
Suspicion of Absconding: Falsehoods on Social Media
While Kamara waits for scrutiny of the report by prosecutorial agencies, erroneous narratives began to spread on social media platforms.
For instance, social media users such as Keff Hassan of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change falsely alleged that Kamara fled the country under dubious circumstances. Posts suggested that Kamara had received a tip-off about an imminent indictment and had fled to Ghana, replete with melodramatic details about his alleged escape.
Fact-checking efforts by The Oracle News Daily debunked these claims, revealing that Kamara remained in Monrovia with his family while these rumors circulated.
These fabrications became so rampant that they seemed to overshadow Kamara’s genuine calls for accountability. Following his suspension, Kamara explicitly requested an investigation to exonerate himself from any wrongdoing, stating in a June 23 letter to the Attorney General, “I am readily available as early as this week for the investigation, and I pray for a fair and transparent process to address these allegations.”
The Reaction of Pro-Government Accounts
Not only were opposition figures spreading misinformation about Kamara, but even certain pro-government accounts joined the fray. Ambulah Mamey falsely claimed Kamara would attend a government program despite his suspension, stating, “Abdullah will be the GUEST OF HONOR at a Government program… Can someone pls advise them?” This was also proven incorrect, as Kamara was not present at the alleged event as “guest of honor’.
Furthermore, the assertions linking Kamara’s suspension to broader geopolitical issues, such as Huawei’s ongoing U.S. sanctions, were misleading. The U.S. sanctions on Huawei originated in 2019 and have been a complex issue involving national security concerns rather than a simple condemnation of any one individual’s alleged associations or actions.
Study done by Washington-based think-tank CSIS revealed that Asian, African, and Latin American countries have purchased Huawei’s tech despite the U.S. ban campaigns.
The study further says that there are 70 deals in 41 countries that have been made between Huawei and governments or state-owned enterprises for cloud infrastructure and e-government services from 2006 to April this year.
The cloud infrastructure usually refers to the installation of data centers, while e-government mainly involves automating administrative features such as licensing, healthcare, legal records, and other government processes.
Most of the countries involved in such deals with Huawei were in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America,
The Fact-Checking Conclusion
Kamara’s predicament illustrates the power of misinformation in politics—a scenario that not only compromises an individual’s reputation but also muddies public discourse. The GAC report has been mischaracterized, and the erroneous claims about Kamara’s actions reflect a concerning trend where political actors prioritize narrative control over the truth.
