A well-placed source within the Ombudsman’s office, who wishes to remain anonymous, has shared with Diaspora Alert that President Joseph Boakai has reportedly lashed out at Cllr. Finley Karngar, the Chairperson of the Office of the Ombudsman. The incident occurred when Cllr. Karngar approached President Boakai for a routine nudge to dismiss over 30 government officials who were found guilty of breaching the code of conduct. According to this insider, President Boakai accused Cllr. Karngar of undermining his administration by targeting key Unity Party officials under the pretense of upholding the code of conduct. The president was visibly frustrated, especially since Cllr. Karngar typically shares his findings and recommendations about alleged violators with the public before sending a copy to the president’s office. It’s reported that the president swore on his late mother’s grave that he wouldn’t dismiss a single person recommended by the Ombudsman for code of conduct violations. When Cllr. Karngar tried to interject for clarification, Boakai angrily told him to “kiss my ass” and ordered him out of his presence.
The Office of the Ombudsman in Liberia has put out a report recommending more than 30 public officials should be removed from their positions right away due to breaches of the Code of Conduct. This investigation, which took place between July 30, 2024, and May 23, 2025, found that these officials were involved in political activities while serving in their public roles, contrary to sections 5.1(a), (b), and 5.8 of the Code. Liberia passed the Code of Conduct Act in 2014 during the Presidency of Africa’s first female democratically elected President. This Act established the Office of the Ombudsman as an independent oversight body, charged with enforcing ethical standards across government institutions and private actors institutions. The Ombudsman is mandated to, among others, enforce, investigate, monitor, oversee, and evaluate the adherence to the code of conduct for private and public officials.
The list of public officials who have been recommended for dismissal features some notable names: Hon. Emmanuel Tuley, who chairs the Board of the Liberia Electricity Corporation; Hon. Cooper Kruah, the Minister of Labour; Hon. Lucia Massalee Yallah from the Environmental Protection Agency; Hon. Emmanuel Zorh, Jr. of the Ministry of Labor; Hon. J. Luther Tarpeh, a member of the Board of Directors for the National Port Authority; Hon. Amos B. Tweh from the Petroleum Refining Company; Hon. Cornelia Kruah Togba, the Minister of State; Hon. Whroway Bryant, the Superintendent of Montserrado County; and Hon. Emmanuel K. Farr from the National Fire Service.
Additionally, the list includes: Ambassador Sheikh Al Moustapha Kouyatech from the Ministry of State; Hon. Ben A. Fofana, the Commissioner of the Liberia Telecommunication Authority; Hon. Patience Randall, the Director General of the Liberia Business Registry; Hon. Edmund Forh and Hon. Melvin Cephus from the National Transit Authority; Hon. Lucia Tarpeh, the Development Superintendent of Montserrado County; Hon. Robert Bestman, the City Mayor of Paynesville; Hon. James Yolei from the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Hon. Collins Tamba from the Ministry of Youth and Sports; Hon. Selena P. Mappy from the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Hon. Kansualism B. Kansuah, a member of the Board of the Liberia Special Economic Zone; Hon. Cllr. Kuku Y. Dorbor from the Liberia Special Economic Zone Authority; Hon. Jacob Smith from the Liberia Refining Company; Hon. Daniel Sando from the Ministry of Information; Hon. Ansu V. S. Dulleh from the National Disaster Management Authority; Hon. Mandella Cooper, a Senior Political Advisor to the President at the Ministry of State; and Hon. Kelvin DJ Mattaldia from the Ministry of Commerce.
The Ombudsman has recommended that the defendants be removed from their positions, citing section 5.9 of the Code of Conduct, which states that any public official found guilty of violating the code shall be immediately removed from their position. The report also orders all similarly situated individuals to relinquish one of their positions within 48 hours of receiving the report. The report fines Madam Hon. Sara Beysolow Nyanti $500 for allegedly personalizing government resources, in violation of section 8.3 of the Code of Conduct. The recommendations are to be implemented by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., and the relevant government agencies.
On July 25, 2025, the Ombudsman released three reports detailing alleged infringements of various sections of the Code of Conduct. The reports cover wrongful political participation, discrimination in the workplace, and the failure of the Government to provide necessary work tools to an employee of the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI).
The Ombudsman determined that 36 public officials had allegedly violated Part V of the Code of Conduct and recommended their removal from public service. This recommendation has been forwarded to President of Liberia, Joseph N. Boakai, Sr. The officials involved include Hon. Daniel O. Sando, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Information; Hon. Dr. Luther Tarpeh, Chairman of the National Port Authority Board of Directors; Hon. Emmanuel Tulay, Chairman of the Liberia Electricity Corporation Board of Directors; Ambassador Sheikh Al Moustapha Kouyateh, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs; and Hon. Kansualism B. Kansuah, Member of the Board of the Liberia Special Economic Zone, among others.
Additionally, the Ombudsman reprimanded Hon. Sekou Dukuly, Managing Director, and Hon. Cllr. Pei Edwin Gausi, Legal Counsel of the National Port Authority (NPA), for violating the Code of Conduct. They have been instructed to undergo administrative training at the Liberia Institute for Public Administration.
The Ombudsman also found the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) guilty of repeatedly failing to provide necessary tools to Dr. Nykoi Jomah, despite paying his salary and benefits. Dr. Jomah has been instructed to submit his report for the past three years to his supervisor within 40 days. As of the latest update, President Boakai has yet to act on these recommendations. Liberians are calling on the President to speedily act upon the Ombudsman recommendation by dismissing the violators of the the Code of Conduct.
