Liberia: LMHRA Managing Director Rejects Manipulation Claims, Declares G2 Pharmacy License Suspension Invalid — Board Stands Firm

MONROVIA – A dispute has erupted within the Liberia Medicine & Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) over the suspension of G2 Pharmacy’s import license. Managing Director Dr. Luke Bawo has rejected the Board of Directors’ authority to issue such a mandate, while the Board insists its resolution stands.

The controversy stems from a Board resolution calling for the suspension of G2 Pharmacy’s license over allegations that the company imported an unlabelled batch of the anesthesia drug Bupivacaine 0.5%, linked to at least one fatality.

Dr. Bawo claims the resolution was never officially released but was leaked to the Liberia Pharmacists Association and medicine importers’ chatrooms by the Board Chair.

“It (the resolution) was never released. It was the Board Chair that leaked it to the Pharmacist Association chatroom and the importers chartroom. I am not sure how FrontPage Africa got it. But however way they got it, it was unedited, it was unreleased and it brings us back again to the Act. The Board, even with that unreleased mandate, has no authority to issue such mandate. It is the sole responsibility of the Managing Director of the Authority to suspend, to fine, to de-register and to register products,” Dr. Bawo said.

Citing the LMHRA Act, Dr. Bawo argued that regulatory enforcement powers rest solely with the Managing Director and that any Board directive in this regard is outside its legal mandate.

Board Stands Firm

The Board, chaired by Dr. David Sumo, holds a different view. In a statement, it reaffirmed its resolution and announced plans to have the Managing Director report on the suspension’s implementation.

“Our legal team is handling G2’s letter and will respond to them appropriately. The Board stands by its resolution and will have the MD report to the Board on the status of its implementation at our next meeting,” Dr. Sumo said.

Background to the Dispute

In July, LMHRA announced the indefinite suspension of G2 Pharmacy’s import license after determining that the company imported a consignment of Bupivacaine 0.5% without English labeling, in violation of packaging regulations. The agency also ordered an immediate recall of the product.

Bupivacaine 0.5% is widely used to numb specific areas of the body during medical procedures by blocking nerve signals.

LMHRA, established on September 29, 2010, is mandated to ensure that all medicines and health products in Liberia are safe, effective, and of high quality, in line with the National Drug Policy.

G2 Pharmacy’s Response

G2 Pharmacy has strongly objected to the Board’s resolution, calling it both legally and procedurally flawed.

In a letter to Dr. Sumo, G2’s legal team argued that the resolution contradicts the official Investigative Findings and Ruling issued by the LMHRA Hearing Board on May 16, 2025. That ruling concluded with a monetary fine, which G2 paid in full, thereby closing the matter under LMHRA’s own due process.

“The subsequent issuance of a resolution imposing additional sanctions, without further investigation or hearing, constitutes administrative overreach and violates principles of fairness and finality,” the company stated.

G2 further cited LMHRA Act, Part IV, Section 2.1 and 5, paragraph 3(c), which they say grants the power to issue or suspend licenses solely to the Managing Director.

“How come the Board Chair and some members of the Board suspended G2 Pharmacy’s license? Is it procedural? We answer an emphatic no and maintain that you acted without any authority pursuant to the LMHRA Act quoted supra,” the company said.

When contacted by FrontPage Africa, Dr. Bawo sided with G2’s interpretation, saying the Board had no legal basis to suspend the license.