Abdullah L. Kamara, former Chairman of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), has been acquitted of corruption charges levied against him by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). The charges stemmed from a General Auditing Commission (GAC) report that alleged over US$3.5 million in questionable disbursements involving Tamma Corporation and other entities during Kamara’s tenure as CEO of Tamma. The LACC’s indictment included charges of economic sabotage, fraud, misuse of public funds, theft, and conspiracy. However, Kamara successfully argued that he was wrongly identified as Tamma’s CEO during the period in question, leading to his dismissal from the case.
The crux of Kamara’s defense rested on the fact that he had resigned from his position as CEO of Tamma Corporation more than a year prior to the alleged financial irregularities. He presented a board resolution dated May 10, 2024, officially appointing Fabian Lavelanet as his successor. Kamara’s legal team argued that despite this documented change in leadership, the LACC continued to erroneously identify him as Tamma’s CEO in their investigation and subsequent indictment. They invoked Section 5.56 of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law, which allows for the removal of a misjoined party at any stage of proceedings if their inclusion is based on a mistake.
Further bolstering Kamara’s defense was Lavelanet’s voluntary statement to the LACC confirming his role as the current CEO of Tamma Corporation. Both Kamara and Lavelanet had clarified the leadership transition during the LACC investigation, but the prosecution allegedly persisted in implicating Kamara as the responsible executive. This, according to Kamara’s legal team, constituted a misjoinder and warranted his removal from the case.
Judge Joe S. Barkon of Criminal Court “C” presided over the case and ultimately ruled in favor of Kamara. The judge determined that holding Kamara accountable as a corporate officer of Tamma Corporation was improper and unlawful, given his documented resignation and the appointment of a new CEO. Judge Barkon emphasized that Tamma Corporation, as a separate legal entity, has its own designated officers who bear responsibility for its actions. The indictment of Kamara, a former CEO, was therefore deemed untenable.
Following Judge Barkon’s ruling, the court issued an official order on September 4, 2025, formally dropping all criminal charges against Kamara and restoring his constitutional and statutory rights. The order explicitly stated that Kamara no longer faced any pending criminal action before the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “C”. This effectively cleared Kamara’s name and marked the end of his legal battle with the LACC.
It is important to note that prior to the court’s ruling, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. had suspended Kamara from his position as Acting Chairman of the LTA in June 2025. This suspension, without pay, was based on the initial GAC report and subsequent indictment. The President had emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability and directed Kamara to fully cooperate with the LACC and Ministry of Justice investigation. Now, with the court’s decision, the implications of the suspension and the potential for reinstatement remain to be seen.
