Monrovia — Grand Kru County Senator Albert Chie has raised concerns over specific provisions within the proposed Cyber Crime Act of 2021 currently being debated in the Liberian Senate. 

By Obediah Johnson

He described parts of the bill as “worrisome,” particularly regarding law enforcement powers and funding arrangements, citing potential threats to civil liberties and government accountability.

The Cyber Crime Act, which has already passed the House of Representatives, is designed to create a unified regulatory framework to combat cybercrime and protect critical information infrastructure. 

The legislation aims to safeguard electronic banking systems and enhance cybersecurity by protecting computerized and electronic data systems from criminal attacks.

During Senate debate on Thursday, June 19, Senator Chie focused his remarks on several sections of the bill that, in his view, require revision before final approval. He highlighted concerns about the expanded powers given to law enforcement agencies, as well as the mechanisms for funding cybercrime enforcement efforts.

One of the main points of contention is Section 28, which authorizes police officers or investigators to carry out searches and investigations related to cybercrime without first obtaining a court warrant. Senator Chie warned this could undermine constitutional protections and open the door to potential abuses.

“This section grants law enforcement the authority to seize property and conduct investigations without judicial oversight, which is very troubling,” Senator Chie said. “We must carefully evaluate the consequences of allowing such actions without court approval.”

He also pointed to Section 18, which criminalizes the distribution of certain data messages. According to Senator Chie, the language of this provision is too vague and risks infringing on freedom of expression by potentially targeting legitimate communication.

The Senator emphasized the need for specialized training in cyber investigations before the law is enacted. He called for government efforts not only to punish cybercriminals but also to build capacity for prevention.

“We must ensure this legislation is robust because cybercrime transcends national borders,” he said. “Raising public awareness and equipping investigators with proper skills are critical before passing this law.”

Senator Chie also criticized Section 36, which outlines the funding sources to support cybercrime enforcement. The bill proposes allocating about 70 percent of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications’ budget to cybercrime initiatives, with additional funding from donor partners and telecommunications institutions such as the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (Libtelco).

He called this arrangement unrealistic and potentially burdensome for these institutions.“I recommend we avoid imposing specific budgetary percentages on these agencies,” Senator Chie said. “Funding should come from the national budget overall to prevent placing undue pressure on these organizations.”

Supporting the bill, Senator Francis Dopoh, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Posts and Telecommunications, stressed the urgency of passing comprehensive cybercrime legislation given Liberia’s increasing digitization.

“Liberia is advancing rapidly with e-procurement, commerce, finance, and social media, which exposes us to cyber threats,” Senator Dopoh said. “Without this law, many cybercriminals will continue to operate with impunity.”

Senator Dopoh defended the warrantless search provision as a necessary measure to address the challenges of investigating cybercrimes.

“Unlike traditional crimes, cybercrime evidence can be quickly erased or moved to the cloud if authorities wait for a warrant,” he explained. “If police have reason to believe a suspect’s computer contains evidence, delays could result in losing critical data.”

He noted that temporary seizure and searches without warrants are essential to preserve evidence in a timely manner.

Regarding funding, Senator Dopoh clarified that directing contributions from telecommunications institutions aims to avoid bureaucratic delays in disbursing resources.

“These organizations are directly involved in telecommunications, so their contributions will facilitate timely and effective responses to cybercrime,” he said.

The Senate is currently reviewing a joint committee report from the Committees on Posts and Telecommunications and Judiciary. A final decision on the Cyber Crime Act of 2021 is expected within the next month.

Monrovia – Grand Kru County Senator Albert Chie has submitted a proposal to the Liberian Senate Plenary, urging a review and unbundling of the responsibilities of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) to enhance the country’s energy sector.

Plenary, the Senate’s highest decision-making body, received the proposal during its session on Tuesday, January 21.

Institutional Conflict Highlighted

Senator Chie pointed out that the LPRC currently holds overlapping roles in Liberia’s downstream petroleum sector, functioning as a policymaker, regulator, and commercial operator. He described this as an “institutional conflict” that undermines fair competition, private sector growth, and efficient energy delivery.

“For example, how can the LPRC license importers of petroleum products while being an importer itself? How can it set prices for petroleum products through its monthly circular when it also operates as a commercial importer?” Senator Chie questioned in his communication to the Senate.

He argued that such conflicts create an uneven playing field, hinder revenue generation for the Government of Liberia (GOL), and limit the availability of high-quality, affordable energy services.

International Best Practices and Recommendations

Senator Chie emphasized that international best practices require distinct institutions to manage policy setting, regulatory oversight, and commercial operations within the energy sector. He noted that the Liberian government has made progress in unbundling roles in the power and upstream petroleum sectors but has yet to implement similar reforms in the downstream petroleum sector.

He referenced the 2009 National Energy Policy (NEP), which recommended amending existing laws to unbundle the roles of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), and the LPRC.

“While reforms in the power and upstream petroleum sectors have taken place, the downstream petroleum sector remains unchanged, with the LPRC maintaining its overlapping functions as both referee and player,” Senator Chie stated.

Proposed Legislative Actions

To address these challenges, Senator Chie proposed that the Senate Plenary mandate its relevant committees to lead a national discourse, including public hearings, to review and amend the LPRC’s 1978 Corporate Charter and the 1989 Act granting it exclusive rights for the importation, sale, and distribution of petroleum products in Liberia.

He called for the establishment of separate entities to manage LPRC’s responsibilities which include regulatory functions could be assigned to an independent body or an existing entity other than the LPRC, policy-setting functions should be explicitly vested in the Ministry of Mines and Energy or another government agency. The LPRC should focus solely on commercial operations.

Alternatively, Senator Chie suggested that the LPRC could be restructured as a regulatory authority, divested of its commercial functions, in line with international best practices and the NEP.

Next Steps

The Senate has forwarded Senator Chie’s proposal to the Committees on Public Corporations, Hydrocarbon and Environment, and Judiciary for review. These committees are expected to report their findings and recommendations to the Plenary in the shortest possible time.

Senator Chie concluded, “We look forward to an unbundled and efficient downstream petroleum sector that aligns with international standards and the National Energy Policy of 2009.”

His assertions were contained in a communication addressed to the Plenary of the Liberian Senate and read during regular sitting at the Capitol Building in Monrovia on Tuesday, June 4.

According to him, the runways or airstrips at these domestic airports need to be rehabilitated.

He stressed that the resuscitating of domestic airports across the country would boost tourism, which is one of the pillars of the agenda of the Unity Party led-government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.

Senator Chie maintained that the move will also lure local and foreign investors to invest in the domestic airport sector of Liberia.

He added that it will also encourage economic activities and help grow small businesses around the airports, and facilitate the smooth and timely collection of revenue by the government.

He maintained that it would also augment land transport of both human and goods and the need to do or establish businesses in the rural areas.

Senator Chief justified that national security surveillance and natural resource surveys will be carried out in an unhindered manner, while other socio-economic activities would be promoted if the deplorable conditions at domestic airports are addressed.

He, however, called for the development of a roadmap that would showcase what needs to be done to rehabilitate these domestic airports

“In respect of the urgency of the activities we have deliberated above to the overall economic growth and development of our country, we kindly request plenary to mandate the Senate Committee on Transport as lead committee, Public Works and Ways, Means , Finance and Budget to engage the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), the Liberia Domestic Airport Agency (LDAA) and other relevant agencies in the executive to produce a roadmap for the rehabilitation and pavement of the 11 domestic airstrips including feasibility studies and cost for consideration of the Senate.”

“Right now, most of the airstrips are not functional; and some are functional on a very low scale with laterite soil. Because of certain issues with our airstrips, investors don’t want to come to invest. It’s very much important we rehabilitate the airstrips; this time around, we need to pave those 11 airstrips across the country,” Senator Chie stated while justifying the significance of his communication.

A motion for the communication to be sent to the relevant committees was filed by Maryland County Senator Gbleh-bo Brown.