Liberia initiative to introduce a Central Monitoring System (CMS) for the gambling sector is facing increasing scrutiny amid concerns about the legal status of the winning bidder, potential conflicts of interest, and the current state of the contract’s execution.
Documents reviewed indicate that Agra Technologies LLC, awarded the CMS contract, was incorporated on January 31, 2025. The tender for the CMS, however, reportedly closed in September 2024, with the contract signed on February 5, 2025. This timeline raises questions about whether Agra Technologies existed legally at the time bids were submitted and evaluated, as well as whether it met the tender requirements regarding incorporation, tax compliance, and documentation of past performance.
Typically, procurement regulations mandate that bidding entities be duly registered and compliant at the time of submission. It remains unclear if Agra Technologies participated directly in the September 2024 bid or if another entity submitted the proposal on its behalf. Officials at the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) have not clarified whether the award adheres to Liberia’s procurement laws.
Agra Technologies is represented in Liberia by William F. Saamoi Jr., who also leads Telecom International Alliance (TIA). TIA previously held a GSM revenue monitoring contract that faced suspension by the Executive Branch due to concerns over implementation and oversight. Corporate records show that individuals associated with TIA have ties to entities operating within Liberia’s gambling sector.
Notably, Avishai Marziano, linked to TIA, is also associated with Fido Technologies, the operator of Starbet. Fido’s ownership reportedly includes IGLMS (Hong Kong), a company supplying monitoring systems to various governments in Africa. Mya Padmore, co-founder of both Fido and IGLMS, has recognized business connections with Marziano. These overlaps have led industry stakeholders to question whether adequate firewalls exist between companies running gambling platforms and those responsible for monitoring industry revenues.
Neither Agra Technologies nor TIA has provided comments on these relationships. Concerns are also mounting about the execution status of the CMS agreement. Multiple sources suggest that crucial ministerial approvals from the Ministries of Justice and Finance have yet to be finalized. If this is confirmed, it could impact the contract’s enforceability under Liberian law.
Despite these uncertainties, gambling operators have reportedly been instructed to integrate with the CMS platform and start sharing transaction and revenue data. Officials from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Ministry of Justice have not issued formal statements regarding the completion of all necessary statutory approvals.
The CMS project aims to enhance transparency and revenue collection in Liberia’s gambling sector, which authorities claim generates significant financial inflows annually. However, critics argue that having both telecom monitoring and gambling oversight contracts managed by a small group of related actors risks centralizing regulatory influence among a few companies and individuals.
Government officials have not publicly addressed these concerns. As questions continue to emerge, legal experts suggest that oversight institutions may need to review the situation to ensure proper procurement procedures were followed and that conflict-of-interest safeguards were respected.
