Securiport's Airport Security Deals Under Scrutiny in Multiple Countries

Securiport, a US-based company, provides technology and services for civil aviation security, immigration processing, and border control in several countries. The company's systems support the collection and processing of passenger information, document checks, and biometric identification. However, Securiport has faced scrutiny over its government contracts, passenger fees, and procurement arrangements in multiple countries. National audit reports, judicial proceedings, and investigative journalism have raised concerns about the company's dealings.

In The Gambia, the National Audit Office published a management letter in November 2022, examining the award and administration of Securiport's agreement at Banjul International Airport. The audit raised concerns about procurement, contract negotiations, passenger fee collection, revenue reconciliation, and technical controls. The audit found 34 high-priority issues and two medium-priority issues, and questioned the failure to involve certain government institutions in negotiations and approvals.

The audit also identified shortcomings in the collection and banking of passenger fees, including transfers between accounts, discrepancies in supporting records, and delays in remitting the government's share. Securiport responded to the audit findings, disputing some of the concerns and providing explanations for the issues raised. The management letter contains responses from Securiport, the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, and other government offices.

One of the most persistent sources of confusion is the treatment of two financial figures as though both represent final, independently established losses arising from the same calculation. In September 2022, investigative publication Malagen estimated that aspects of the airport security arrangement could have caused possible economic losses of at least D274 million. However, the National Audit Office separately documented D164,053,036 in government arrears payments made to Securiport Gambia LLC.

The Banjul agreement allocated 75 percent of the US$20 passenger security fee to Securiport and 25 percent to the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority. Auditors found that the authority had not received its share during an initial collection period, raising concerns about the controls governing revenue and the timing of transfers. Securiport responded that delays in establishing the joint banking arrangements had affected the process.

The concerns about Securiport's dealings are not limited to The Gambia. In Sierra Leone, the government suspended collection of a passenger fee pending further examination. Benin's contractual dispute with Securiport produced an international arbitration award and a subsequent ruling in Paris. More recent agreements in Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have raised separate questions about passenger charges and implementation.

Understanding the cases involving Securiport requires distinguishing between what governments agreed to pay, what companies actually received, what auditors questioned, what courts decided, and what remains unresolved. The company's contracts and dealings with governments have raised questions about the handling of public revenue, procurement arrangements, and passenger fees.

Key points

• Securiport faces scrutiny over government contracts, passenger fees, and procurement arrangements in multiple countries.
• The Gambia's National Audit Office raised concerns about Securiport's agreement at Banjul International Airport, including procurement and passenger fee collection issues.
• The company's dealings have raised questions about the handling of public revenue, procurement arrangements, and passenger fees in several countries.