By: Archie Boan
Bomi County Senator Edwin M. Snowe has called for a full-scale Senate investigation into reports that the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) has entered into an agreement with a gambling company, Blue Star Hi-Tech Liberia Limited, to operate a betting center within its premises.
In a formal communication to the Senate Plenary, Senator Snowe expressed grave concern over what he described as a threat to the moral standing and institutional integrity of the nation’s only state-owned broadcaster.
“This development raises serious concerns regarding the moral standing, institutional integrity, and public image of the nation’s premier broadcasting entity,” the Bomi County Senator wrote. “LBS is financed by the National Government and serves as a vital platform for national communication, education, and entertainment.”
Senator Snowe has requested that the Senate’s Committee on Information, Broadcasting, and Cultural Affairs be mandated to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the alleged agreement and establishment of a gambling center at the LBS compound in Paynesville.
The request follows weeks of growing concerns among LBS employees, who recently told DN News Liberia that they were shocked to see equipment being offloaded into the institution’s theater without prior notification to management. The workers later learned that the equipment belonged to Blue Star Lotto, a company contracted by the National Lottery Authority (NLA) to operate the national 5/90 lotto game.
When contacted, LBS Director General Eugene L. Fahngon confirmed Blue Star Lotto’s presence at the facility but denied that a formal agreement had been finalized. He explained that the company had initially approached LBS for airtime to broadcast its daily lotto draws, but that proposal proved too costly.
“Instead, I suggested that they relocate their lotto machine to the LBS theater under a potential revenue-sharing partnership that could benefit the institution,” Mr. Fahngon said, while describing the staff’s concerns as premature.
