Businessman Detests Travel Restriction -Exonerates Himself in Gbarpolu Yellow Machine Saga

MONROVIA – The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has in recent months seemingly ramped up its surveillance on scoundrels within both in public and private sector, and many names are in the offing. But the demonstrated high spirits of the LACC is at the same time going groggy, leaving behind a trail of lamentations and outcries over wrongful labelling. Thus, there are calls on the LACC to tamper exuberance with extreme sobriety and deeper due diligence in its evidence-gathering and actions before laying hand on potential culprits. This appears to be the point that a local businessman is making after the LACC listed him for travel restriction over the controversial Gbarpolu County yellow machine saga. As The Analyst reports, CEO of City Lion Inc. Alhaji Omaru Sheriff says, as a bidder and supplier, he delivered the equipment but it is the local administration that has failed to carry out its side of the backing.  

Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) on July requested the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) to immediately place a temporary travel restriction on more than 20 high-profile individuals linked to alleged acts of corruption and financial misconduct. This included Mr. Alhaji Omaru Sheriff, Chief Executive Officer of City Lion Incorporated, related to the Gbarpolu County Yellow Machine.

But the local businessman, responding to his inclusion on the list, said it doesn’t make any sense that he is so labelled because he has never in his life been invited to any police station for any criminal actions involving him, nor has his company ever engaged in any act that defrauded the Liberian government.

Addressing the media on July 9 in Monrovia, City Lion CEO Sheriff clarified that regarding prevailing Gbapolu County yellow machine case, he delivered on his side of the contract that he had signed with the Ministry of Internal Affairs – which is to procure yellow machines for county, but it was rather the Internal Affairs’ county authorities that breached the contract when they delayed to provide duty-free privileges to his company, City Lion, to clear the equipment from the port of Monrovia.

He said MIA delayed to execute its duty free responsibility led to the levying of unnecessary demurrage and other port charges amounting to US$100,000.

“I called you here because I am forced to do some clarity,” he began his clarification of the matter.  “These few days, as a CEO of my company, I saw something on the media that there was a list sent to the Immigration to put on travel restriction, and the CEO I was included. This situation is troubling, and I don’t know where it is coming from.”

He explained how on September 27, 2023, he and his staff saw a bid advertisement in the local media, advertising bid announcement for the purchase of three different yellow machines.

Having met the requirement for the bid, he said, the company applied and was awarded a contract and later executed his side of the bargain, delivered the machines, but the local authority of the country and the Internal Affairs Ministry delayed taking delivery of said machines from the port.

“We proceeded to perform our part because the contract requires us to do so and the government, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Superintendent of the County or the authority of the county through their representative to the PMC; they had their own part to play,” Mr. Sheriff narrated. “We proceeded to procure the machine and we brought the machine. We have the bill of lading here. The machine entered the port, and that can be confirmed that the machine entered the port.”

According to him, before the machines arrived at the Port, his company had notified its counterpart in writing about the date of arrival and that they should be prepared to take delivery by executing their duty-free privilege promised as per the contract signed or they would incur demurrage or other port charges.

He explained further: “We brought machines also for a client from Nimba County. The machines were combined on the shipment. We sent a lot of follow up letters to that effect, that the duty-free should be put in and applied on time. They did not respond on time. Because of that, the machines were at the Port for so many months. Our part of the contract was to deliver the machines at the Port, and the client would provide the duty-free to get the machine out. And we did our part.”

LACC’s Call

Sheriff said while the machines were at the Port, he got a call from LACC that to appear there, and during a meeting with one Abel, he was confronted with the information that a whistleblower had told the Commission his company was awarded a contract and that they didn’t deliver.

“I said that is false, and he and I had some argument.  I told him that as far as I am concerned, we performed,” the CEO further clarified. “Another day, he called me, asking me to reconfirm my earlier claim to delivering on my part of the deal, and whether the machines could be inspected, to which I said yes.

“I called my broker to accompany them at the Port since I was not authorized to enter the Port at that time because I did not gate pass. They went in the port and saw the machines. They identified and confirmed that this is the machine. They came back and told me they saw the machine, so I asked me to give me a clearance to state that they had evidence that I had delivered but they would get back to me and they left.”

CEO Sheriff continued: “At some other point, the LACC called me and wanted to know how the machine left the Port. I told them that when we agreed to bring the duty-free, the other party delayed and did not bring the duty-free on time, and because of that the machine had gone into demurrage and other charges because for overstaying. The machine went into abandon and we informed them immediately that there is 10 days to reclaim this machine. So, this reclaim was a little amount now because other the charges went close to $100,000. Maybe that was why they did not respond to clear the machine. But when the machine went into abandon status, we informed them and reclaimed the machine in their behalf by helping them because it is not our responsibility for them to have their machine at the Port to acquire demurrage. We reclaimed the machine because we wanted to a build a good client-customer relationship, and to reclaim the machine cost $15,000 instead of the original $100,000 port charges for overstaying.”

Superintendent Zinnah Breached Contract

According to the City Lion boss, when the Gbarpolu Superintendent Sam Zinnah came in, he got the money or the funding to clear the machine for $15,000 instead of $100,000 at the abandon site. But instead of using the broker that was already hired to do the work, he went ahead and used the money to do all payments on his own without the involvement of the broker.

“After he did that, he at one time called the broker to come to the Port and then asked for the title of the machine. The broker told him, ‘No. You are not the one that hired me. You cannot ask me for the title of this machine unless the company that hired me. What I was told is that the machine is here, and when I get the release I should inform them. The factory that sent the machine had to come down and assemble the machine at the company’s office or their yard before it can be turned over to you’.

“And that is the one that is in our contract. Not Zinnah or the Superintendent. The machine has to be turned over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs that awarded the contract to us. You breached that contract when you took the machine away, and not only that, but demanded the broker to give the title of the machine; not only three machines were accompanied, five pieces were together.”

The businessman said the County authority demanded the broker to give the title of the machine to him.

According to him, the broker of his company was detained by the Seaport Police and the Superintendent, as the two machines that were for Nimba County, they demanded his company to pay some portion of the money since in fact they were five; three of the machines were for them and two for Nimba County.

“We had to pay on behalf of Nimba County. We had to involve the client that has those two machines. That client can testify,” he averred. “He made away with the three machines he claimed to belong to them, without respecting me; I who brought the machines from the factory, I don’t have the right to test the machines until the factory comes to assume the machines and turn them over to me and I have to bring my people to test it. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the people will have to come and certify that the machines we brought in are ok, before I can allow the factory agent to leave from here. But the Superintendent violated that and made away with the machines.”

Surprise Listing

Continuing, CEO Sheriff narrated: “Now, I just saw my name after those few calls were made to me from LACC. I was never told that I was under investigation concerning about the yellow machine. I was only told to come and clarify, and which I did. They wanted to see the evidence and they saw the evidence that I fulfilled my side of the contract. I was so surprised and I was not the only one to see in the media something about my travel restriction. My international partner and even my family saw it. I, Alhaji Omaru Sheriff, have never been to police station in my life. For someone to use me and wants to defame to very reputable Liberian company that is making impact in our business sector that has been challenged by foreigners, when we are trying to reclaim our rights and someone is trying to drag us into something that we never have in our record before.”

He said he cannot accuse the LACC “that they sent people to investigate me; however, the communication which listed me and my company to the Immigration to restrict my traveling is unfortunate. This is why I called the media to clarify about this Gbarlpolu yellow machine.”

CEO Sheriff expressed his disappointment that his name would be mudded and his company’s image tarnished in the absence of any investigation.

It can be recalled that on July 1, 2025 the LACC wrote the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) placing temporary ban.