Liberia: LIBENERGY Threatens Legal Action Against “Blackmailers”

The management of ‘LIBENERGY’, a subsidiary of ALBEDO GROUP, has said that it would take legal action against any individual or entity attempting to tarnish the reputation of the company.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Maissa Diagne, disclosed that the company won’t hesitate to file a lawsuit if the ongoing smear campaign against the company that has led to a barrage of false accusations persists.

The accusations involve supposed connections between LIBENERGY and individuals believed to be involved in corruption. LIBENERGY secured a bid from the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) for the supply of transformers and meters through a pre-finance arrangement.

However, the company has recently faced a barrage of attacks, specifically alleging ties to prominent figures in Liberian society such as LEC’s CEO Monie Captan and former Minister of State, (now Margibi County Senator) Nathaniel McGill. Mr. Diagne strongly denies these allegations, denouncing them as baseless propaganda.

“Our company is being blackmailed and we will not hesitate to institute legal action against anyone on a smear campaign to tarnish our company's reputation. This is unfair and must stop,” Diagne said in a statement on Wednesday. “We won’t hesitate to put blackmailers in check and we will do that through the law.”

He noted that his company is being targeted due to its status as a foreign entity and warned that such unfounded claims could discourage potential investors. With its origins in Côte d’Ivoire, ALBEDO Group has branches throughout West Africa. Established in 2004 by a group of African engineers with a desire to contribute to the continent's development, ALBEDO initially focused on air conditioning services.

Over time, it expanded its offerings to cover various technical building trades in response to market demand. With a dynamic and motivated team of professionals, the company quickly rose to the international challenge, successfully completing reference projects in West Africa. 

It has been reported that the LEC Asset Management Contract Agreement was approved solely by Mr. Captan, who holds the positions of CEO and Board Chairman. Four companies participated in the competitive bidding process, including a joint venture between Alpha TND Limited and Jungle Energy Power, PATCO Engineering & General Contractors Inc., a joint venture between Integrated Service & Equipment Inc. and Eya Bantu, and a joint venture comprising Quality Group of Construction Companies and Albédo.

Ultimately, the contract for Maryland and Grand Gedeh Counties was awarded to LIBENERGY, which reports in the public claimed belong to McGill’s company.

“LIBENERGY does not belong to McGill. These fake information are only meant to tarnish our reputation,” the CEO reiterated.

However, critics frown on the fact that the contract was awarded to a foreign company despite bid documents indicate that the joint venture of Integrated Service & Equipment Inc and Eya Bantu, a Liberian-owned and operated company, presented a more favorable proposal and solutions for investing in the Southeastern Grid Network.

The decision to grant the Asset Management Contract to LIBENERGY has raised questions and sparked a heated debate regarding the ethical implications of such dealings.

As the CEO and Chairman of the Board of LEC, Captan wields considerable influence in the World Bank-funded Liberia Accelerated Electricity Expansion Project (LACEEP). He also serves as the Project Director, overseeing efforts to address critical issues within the electricity sector, such as limited generation capacity and financial constraints.