A thorough investigation by Verity News has uncovered a dossier of leaked documents, including contracts, letters, partnership agreements, and internal messages, involving an alleged ongoing conspiracy to put 40 Liberians out of jobs. The Minister of Labor Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., stands accused of conniving with a Slovenian company, CETIS.
“The Minister of Labor Cllr. Cooper is the mastermind behind this conspiracy. He wants to take us out of the job. We are talking about 40 Liberian household heads here. His only interest is to bring in his own company that he has blind share in and his own interests. The new company he wants to bring is called an African Contractor. Minister Kruah is conniving with foreigners to get rid of a legitimate local company, ZIP, which is providing job for 40 of us. The President or any higher authority needs to urgently step into this matter. This is unfair,” a staff who spoke on conditions of anonymity told Verity News.
Contractual Ties and Termination
Documents reviewed by Verity News show that in 2021 the Ministry of Labor awarded a contract to CETIS Graphics and Documentation d.d., a Slovenian firm, for the digitalization of alien work permits in Liberia under reference RB no. MOL/LIS/ICB/RB/001/2020-2021.
Article IX of the main agreement explicitly acknowledges “the contractual relationship between CETIS Graphics and Documentation d.d. SLOVENIA and ZIP SOLUTIONS (LIB) INC.” It further states that the Contracting Authority accepts that CETIS will work with ZIP in implementing the agreement.
Article X provides that while CETIS may engage subcontractors, it “shall be fully responsible for the works carried out by the Subcontractors as if it were the works of CETIS” and must obtain written approval from the Contracting Authority before replacing any subcontractor.
ZIP Solutions Limited subsequently entered into a partnership agreement with CETIS on March 1, 2022, to implement the project at the Ministry of Labor.
According to internal correspondence and financial summaries seen by this paper, ZIP assumed operational responsibility for the fleet of vehicles and enforcement equipment used in the project, including management, maintenance, insurance and fuel costs.
ZIP officials claim they have employed more than 40 Liberians to support the Ministry’s inspectorate operations. Revenue generated from the project reportedly increased from approximately US$4 million in 2021 to over US$10 million in 2025.
“CETIS had less than five staff in the country. We took over all the cost of the project since 2022,” a senior ZIP official said. “All they did was to transfer their part of the revenue outside the country without any economic benefits here.”
Immediate Termination
On January 22, 2026, CETIS Liberia Incorporated issued a formal notice terminating the partnership agreement with immediate effect, citing Clause 10 of the agreement and alleging “breach of the main provisions.”
In the termination letter, signed by Roman Žnidarič, MSc, Director of CETIS Liberia Inc., the company accused ZIP of:
“Failure to ensure proper management and transparency of project assets,” including vehicles and motorbikes;
“Lack of transparency and reporting” related to enforcement activities and financial obligations, including the allocation of two percent of the annual operational budget to support the work permit enforcement regime; Despite prior notices and the lapse of a reasonable period to remedy the above breaches, the breaches have not been remedied,” the letter states. “Accordingly… CETIS is herewith terminating the Agreement with immediate effect.”
The letter further declared that ancillary agreements- including a Lease Agreement and a Transitory Bank Account Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with Guaranty Trust Bank (Liberia) Limited-were automatically cancelled as a consequence of the termination.
In a February 2, 2026 letter to GT Bank, CETIS requested closure of the account titled “CETIS/ZIP: ALIEN WORK PERMIT,” account number 032/7218/002/0001/000, and asked that any remaining balance be split between the parties.
ZIP disputes the legality of the termination.
“We have a partnership agreement that states any dispute should be resolved amicably,” one company executive said. “There was no prior notice of breach, but immediate termination. We responded, and they did not address our points.”
The agreement indeed provides that disputes “shall be settled in an amicable manner,” failing which they are to be resolved under International Chamber of Commerce arbitration rules in Zurich, Switzerland.
Allegations of Ministerial Involvement
Beyond the contractual dispute, ZIP officials allege political interference.
According to internal communications and interviews with multiple sources, ZIP delivered a formal complaint to Labour Minister Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., seeking mediation. Following discussions, the Minister allegedly instructed that a letter be issued inviting both CETIS and ZIP to a meeting.
“To our surprise, said letter has been halted and our staff asked to leave the Ministry of Labour,” one official said.
Another staff member alleged that the Assistant Minister for Alien Registration ordered a ZIP data clerk to vacate the Ministry’s premises, citing instructions that ZIP should stop work.
“We got information that the Minister has consented to CETIS to bring in another implementing company to carry out the project outside the main agreement. The company name is African Contractors,” the source claimed.
Verity News has not independently verified ownership claims regarding the company identified as “African Contractors.”
A source familiar with the situation also described overhearing a phone conversation between a CETIS representative and another party discussing the termination. “The phone was on speaker because we needed to know what was prompting the termination,” the source said.
As of publication, drivers employed by ZIP reportedly remain assigned to Ministry officials in various counties, operating vehicles managed by the company.
“They humiliated our staff by asking her to leave the office, yet they are still using the vehicles managed by ZIP,” one employee said.
Legal and Governance Questions
The main agreement provides that “for the purpose of implementing this Agreement ONLY, the Contracting Authority will hold CETIS liable for decisions made pursuant to the implementation of this Agreement,” and that CETIS “shall be fully responsible” for subcontractors.
Legal analysts contacted by Verity News note that if ZIP is formally recognized under Article IX and replacement requires written approval under Article X, the introduction of a new implementing company without documented consent from the Contracting Authority could raise contractual and administrative law concerns.
The agreement also stipulates that Liberian law governs the contract, while arbitration for unresolved disputes is to take place in Zurich.
Efforts to obtain official comment from Minister Kruah and CETIS Liberia were ongoing at press time.
The unfolding dispute raises broader concerns about transparency in public-private partnerships, protection of local employment, and adherence to contractual obligations in government projects.
For the 40 Liberians employed under the project, however, the matter is more immediate.
“We are not politicians. We are just workers,” one employee said quietly,” stressing that if this agreement collapses, 40 family’s heads will suffer.”
