No evidence that the "Yellow Machine Deal Bypassed Liberia's Procurement Process
Claim: “The Yellow Machine deal went through without the procurement process.”
Source: Mulbah K. Morlu, Chairman, Solidarity and Trust for A New Day (STAND).
Source: Mulbah K. Morlu, Chairman, Solidarity and Trust for A New Day (STAND).
Verdict: Unproven
Full Text: On February 22, 2026, STAND Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu alleged on social media that the “Yellow Machine” deal under President Joseph N. Boakai’s administration was awarded without going through any procurement process. He further described it as a “criminal deal” that made certain individuals millionaires, despite no visible deployment of yellow machines on village roads. As of this fact-check, the post had generated 309 reactions, 787 comments, and 122 shares.
The “Yellow Machine” package refers to a fleet of heavy-duty earth-moving equipment, graders, loaders, bulldozers, excavators, compactors, and trucks intended to support road construction, farm-to-market access, emergency rehabilitation, and routine maintenance across all 15 counties of Liberia.
Verification: The Stage Media Liberia reviewed the claim against the requirements of Liberia’s Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA). Under this law, all public contracts funded by government resources must go through established procurement procedures, including competitive bidding or sole-source justification, and must be overseen by the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC).
On February 23, 2026, TSM contacted PPCC Communications Director Nathan N. Bengu via WhatsApp. Bengu confirmed that the Yellow Machine procurement received full PPCC approval and that every step was conducted in accordance with the PPCA. He further stated that the Ministry of Public Works, as the government entity responsible for the procurement, carried out the entire process in strict adherence to the law.
An investigative report by FrontPage Africa (FPA) found that Evergreen Liberia Limited emerged as the winning bidder through a competitive process. The equipment is being manufactured by SANY, a Chinese multinational heavy equipment company headquartered in Changsha, Hunan Province.
According to FPA, the US$22 million contract covers not just the supply of 285 machines, but also technician training for Liberians, after-sales servicing, spare parts, and long-term maintenance. The package includes 20 pickup trucks, four containers of spare parts, and four Chinese engineers who will train approximately 1,000 Liberians. The machines are expected to be distributed evenly, 19 pieces of equipment per county across all 15 counties.
Three companies submitted bids: ABK Incorporated (Liberia) at US$25,275,120; American Procurement Service at US$30,382,479; and Evergreen Import & Export Federation (Foreign) at US$21,646,035, which was the winning bid.
At the time of publication, Morlu had provided no verified evidence to support the claim that the deal was executed without procurement or that individuals became millionaires as a direct result of the contract. TSM’s review found no publicly available official document or published audit concluding that the procurement was waived or the contract was illegally awarded.
Conclusion: There is no evidence to support the claim that the Yellow Machine deal bypassed Liberia’s public procurement process. Available information, including a direct statement from the PPCC indicates the procurement complied with the Public Procurement and Concessions Act. Without contrary documentary or audit evidence, the allegation remains unsubstantiated.
