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Stakeholder's Engagement with CSOs and Media Institutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ministry of Justice, The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and Witness Protection Agency Rally Civil Society Organizations and Media Institutions on Legislative reforms to Strengthen Protection for Witnesses, Whistleblowers, and Victims.
MONROVIA, Liberia – July 6, 2026 — The Ministry of Justice, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission in collaboration with the Witness Protection Agency (WPA), on Friday, July 3, 2026 convened a One-Day Stakeholders’ Engagement at the Monrovia City Hall with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Media institutions, Government institutions and Development Partners to review the proposed amendments to the Witness Protection Act of 2021 and the Whistleblower Act of 2021.
The consultation held under the theme: “Strengthening Protection Mechanisms for Witnesses, Whistleblowers, and Victims: Advancing Liberia's Anti-Corruption and Transitional Justice Commitments” formed part of the Government of Liberia efforts, under the directive of President Joseph N. Boakai Sr., to address legislative and operational gaps identified during the implementation of the two landmark accountability and victim focused protection laws.
The engagement focused on strengthening legal safeguards for witnesses, whistleblowers, and victims by addressing weaknesses in confidentiality protections, clarifying eligibility for protection, improving institutional coordination, and enhancing measures against retaliation. Participants also examined proposals to increase incentive mechanisms, including rewards from 5 percent to 10 percent and bounties, to encourage the reporting of corruption, organized crime, and smuggling while ensuring the safety of those who come forward to provide disclosures and testify during litigations.
The proposed amendments further seek to strengthen protections against digital surveillance, identity disclosure, and other emerging threats by enhancing cooperation among justice and anti-corruption institutions. The reforms would criminalize retaliation against protected persons, prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of protected identities, strengthen confidentiality provisions, enforce punitive measure against employers who refused to publish the Whistleblower Act and appoint compliance officers, as well as improve procedural safeguards for witnesses and whistleblowers before, during and after the criminal proceedings as may be determined.
During the opening session, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, in his keynote address described the review process as an urgent national priority rather than a routine legislative exercise.
He further noted that "A witness who will not speak, a whistleblower who will not report, and a victim who will not come forward are not isolated failures of personal courage. They are indictments of institutional failure, and this nation can no longer afford that failure," the Minister said.
He further emphasized that while the Witness Protection Act of 2021 and the Whistleblower Act of 2021 represented significant milestones in strengthening Liberia's justice system, their implementation had exposed important gaps that must now be addressed. He identified key areas requiring reform, including expanding the WPA's mandate to respond to evolving threats, strengthening penalties for retaliation and unlawful disclosure of protected identities, improving digital security protections, and introducing meaningful incentives to encourage whistleblowing.
Cllr. Tweh further emphasized that the proposed reforms are consistent with Liberia's obligations under international legal instruments, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. He assured participants that all substantive recommendations would be documented in a comprehensive Stakeholder Consultation Report before submission of the draft legislation to the Legislature. He further reiterated that "The protection of witnesses, whistleblowers, and victims is not simply a legislative issue," he said. "It is a fundamental requirement for strengthening the rule of law, combating corruption, and advancing Liberia's transitional justice commitments."
Speaking at the forum, the Director of the Witness Protection Agency, Hon. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby II, Esq., underscored the indispensable role of civil society and the media in promoting accountability and public confidence in the justice system.
While encouraging responsible investigative journalism, he cautioned that the unauthorized publication of protected identities undermines justice and constitute a criminal offence under the proposed amendments. He further emphasized that "Civil Society and the Press are the frontline guardians of accountability in the Republic of Liberia," Director Grigsby said. “Hold us accountable, ask the hard questions, and walk this road together with us." He also encouraged the Press Union of Liberia to develop professional protocols that balance investigative reporting with the protection of vulnerable witnesses and whistleblowers.
The consultation brought together representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Witness Protection Agency, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Information, Law Reform Commission, the Governance Commission, Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC) civil society organizations including the Liberian National Bar Association, Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), National Civil Society Council, Mano River Union Youth Parliament (MRUYP), media institutions including the Press Union of Liberia, development partners including the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), and other stakeholders engaged in governance, justice sector reform, anti-corruption, and transitional justice.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Ms. Vivian S. Akoto said effective anti-corruption efforts depend upon the confidence of citizens that they will be protected when reporting wrongdoing.
She strongly iterated that "No nation can successfully combat corruption if those who witness wrongdoing fear retaliation for speaking the truth," she said. She emphasized that strong legislation must be matched by effective implementation, adequate institutional resources, and sustained political commitment.
In special remarks the Acting Chairperson of the Governance Commission, Honorable Alaric K. Tokpa emphasized that no anti-corruption framework can succeed where witnesses are afraid to testify and no accountability system can function where whistleblowers face reprisals for exposing corruption, abuse of office, organized crime or human rights violation. He further stated that no transitional justice process can deliver meaningful outcomes where the victims and witnesses lack confidence that the state can guarantee their safety.
Representing the Liberian National Bar Association, Mr. Edward W. Bonwinkor, Jr., Executive Director, described the Witness Protection Act of 2021 and the Whistleblower Act of 2021 as foundational pillars of Liberia's justice system. He stressed that the effectiveness of both laws ultimately depends upon ensuring meaningful protection for those who expose corruption, organized crime, and other serious offences.
Also making special remarks on behalf of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr. Christian Mokosa, described the Witness Protection program as very vital to transitional justice, particularly, the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) and the National Anti-Corruption Court (NACC). He praised the Government of Liberia for enacting relevant protections laws for witnesses, whistleblowers and victims and emphasized that Liberia is one of very few countries on the African Continent with an Agency to oversee the Witness and Whistleblower Program. He further pledged the support of the OHCHR to the work of the Agency.
Delivering special remarks, Dr. Jallah Barbu, Executive Director of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC) emphasized the urgent needs for the Executive Management Team of the Witness protection Agency to decentralize the program if the real impact must be felt. He stated further that the increasing fear for citizens to come forward to testify has been due to the absence of protection mechanism for witnesses, whistleblower and victims. He pledged OWECC support and solicited the support of the Donor, especially the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), to ensure the decentralization of the witness protection program across Liberia.
The stakeholders' engagement concluded with the establishment of a Witness and Whistleblower Protection Coordinating Platform to be supervised by an Acting Leadership comprising representatives from the Media and Civil Society Organizations. Recommendations from the discussions will be consolidated into a Stakeholder’s Consultation Report that will inform the final draft of the proposed amendments before submission to the Legislature.
The participants reaffirmed that strengthening protection mechanisms for witnesses, whistleblowers, and victims is essential to advancing accountability, combating corruption, human rights violation and reinforcing public confidence in Liberia's justice system.
Elijah D. Jaryenneh
Assistant Manager for Public Affairs
Witness Protection Agency
Sekou Toure Ave, Mamba Point, Monrovia, Liberia
Tel: 231770529091
Email: ejaryenneh@wpa.gov.lr, witnessprotectionagency@wpa.gov.lr