The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia has called on the government to provide full and detailed information about an alleged US$10 million presidential villa reportedly under construction in Foya, Lofa County.
Speaking at a news conference in Sinkor on October 2, 2025, CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen urged the government to be transparent, saying continued silence “does not send a good message to the public about full compliance with public procurement and other laws and guidelines.”
He also called on the Liberia Anticorruption Commission (LACC) and the Asset Recovery Task Force to open a timely probe into the acquisition “to further safeguard the public purse or interest,” and to publish the outcomes.
The controversy began after civil society leader Eddie Jarwolo, head of Naymote, posted reports about construction of a US$10 million presidential villa in Foya — the hometown of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
In response, Deputy Minister of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism Daniel Sando told the Daily Observer there is “no such presidential project,” and suggested the works may be linked to a planned Mano River Union (MRU) conference given Foya’s border location.
CENTAL said efforts to verify the deputy minister’s claim with the MRU Secretariat were unsuccessful; the Secretariat declined to comment directly and advised requesters to seek documentary evidence from Deputy Minister Sando. CENTAL says it has received no further clarification from the deputy minister.
A review of Liberia’s approved 2024 and 2025 national budgets by CENTAL found no line item for such a project under the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs or any other ministry.
“What is the actual source of funding for the project? What are the specifications and what economic benefits will it yield to the country? How was the contractor selected?” Miamen asked, noting the project’s location in the president’s hometown raises additional public concern.
Miamen pointed out that the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs listed public communication and facilitating access to information as key achievements in the 2025 national budget and questioned why those commitments have not been applied to this matter.
“The Liberian people deserve to know if their resources are being used for the project,” he said. “If their resources, through the national budget, are not involved with the construction, then what can possibly be the source of funding? Is the project being financed through corruption or money laundering?”
CENTAL said it will await a timely public response and urged relevant authorities to disclose funding sources, contractor selection details, project specifications and the project’s stated economic value to the country.
