-As Ombudsman Proposes Salary Suspension
By Jerromie S. Walters
The Office of the Ombudsman has formally recommended the suspension of 41 Liberian lawmakers, consisting of 12 senators and 29 representatives, for failing to declare their assets as required by law. This announcement was made by Cllr. Findley Karngar, the Chairperson of the Office of the Ombudsman, during the Ministry of Information’s weekly press briefing on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
According to Section 10.1 of Liberia’s 2014 Code of Conduct, all public officials and government employees must declare their assets before taking office, every three years during their tenure, and upon promotion, retirement, or resignation. Despite this legal obligation, the 49 lawmakers in question have not complied, prompting the Ombudsman’s intervention.
Cllr. Karngar revealed that his office has sent an official communication to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, urging them to suspend the non-compliant legislators without pay until they fulfill their legal duty. He further recommended that the salaries of the suspended lawmakers be redirected toward public interest initiatives during their suspension.
“There are 29 representatives that are yet to declare their assets. Because of their failure to declare their assets, we have accordingly written the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to have those representatives suspended, pending the declaration of their assets. While they are suspended, their salaries should be used for the public interest—” Cllr. Findley Karngar.
Among the 12 senators named for failing to declare their assets are Alex Tyler of Bomi County, Simeon Taylor of Grand Cape Mount, Gboto Kanneh of Gbarpolu, Zoe Emmanuel Pennue and Thomas Y. Nimely of Grand Gedeh, Wellington Geevon Smith and Bill Tweahway of River Cess, Crayton Duncan of Sinoe, Numene T.H. Bartekwa of Grand Kru, James S. Biney of Maryland, Saah Joseph of Montserrado, and Samuel Kogar of Nimba. While the Ombudsman did not publicly disclose the names of the 29 non-compliant representatives, their identities have been formally submitted to the legislative leadership for further action.
Cllr. Karngar stressed the importance of upholding the Code of Conduct, emphasizing that transparency and accountability are fundamental principles for public officials. He warned that allowing lawmakers to disregard the law sets a poor example for governance and undermines public trust. The Ombudsman’s office says it remains committed to enforcing compliance across all levels of government to ensure ethical leadership and adherence to legal standards.
Boakai’s Mass Suspension
In February of this year, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. suspended more than 400 government officials who failed to comply with mandatory asset declaration requirements. This sweeping enforcement measure was implemented under the authority granted by Article 2, Section 10.2(h) of the amended 2014 Code of Conduct, which specifically addresses violations of asset disclosure rules. The suspensions came after President Boakai had issued a final warning on November 27, 2024, granting a ten-day grace period for all non-compliant officials to submit their declarations.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) had compiled and submitted the official list of non-compliant individuals to the President’s office. According to the enforcement action, all listed officials faced immediate suspension for a minimum period of one month without pay, with reinstatement contingent upon full compliance with the asset declaration requirement.
Earlier in February, the LACC had released its comprehensive 2024 compliance report detailing asset declaration statistics across all three branches of government. The report revealed significant discrepancies in compliance rates, with only 1,370 out of 1,986 officials required by law to declare their assets having done so, leaving a concerning 616 officials in violation of the Code of Conduct.
The judicial branch emerged as the only fully compliant government sector, with all 338 judicial officials having properly declared their assets. In contrast, the legislative branch showed troubling gaps in compliance, particularly in the House of Representatives where only 36 of 73 members had fulfilled their obligation while 37 remained non-compliant. The Senate fared slightly better but still showed significant non-compliance, with just 14 of 30 senators having submitted their declarations while 16 senators remained in violation.
Most alarmingly, the executive branch recorded the poorest compliance rates of all government sectors. Out of 1,333 executive officials legally required to declare their assets, only 881 had complied by the reporting deadline, leaving a staggering 452 officials in default of their legal obligations. LACC Chairperson Cllr. Alexandra K. Zoe emphasized the urgent need for stronger enforcement mechanisms and stricter adherence to asset declaration laws across all branches of government, particularly targeting persistent violators.
Liberia’s Ombudsman Office Becomes Operational:
After 28 years of persistent advocacy and legislative efforts, Liberia achieved a major governance milestone in 2014 with the passage of the Code of Conduct Act under the leadership of Africa’s first democratically elected female president. This landmark legislation established the Office of the Ombudsman as an independent oversight body tasked with enforcing ethical standards, promoting transparency, and ensuring accountability across government institutions and private actors engaging in public service.
Despite its creation, the Ombudsman’s Office remained inactive for nearly a decade due to delays in appointing leadership and securing necessary operational resources. This prolonged stagnation hindered the full implementation of the Code of Conduct, which was designed to define acceptable behavior for public servants and uphold principles of integrity in governance.
A breakthrough came in August 2024, when President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. finally operationalized the long-dormant office, marking a pivotal step toward strengthening Liberia’s anti-corruption framework. The President made key appointments to activate the institution, beginning with Cllr. Finley Y. Karngar was named Chairperson of the Office of the Ombudsman on April 5, 2024. Soon after, Cllr. Lami Kpargoi and Atty. Etmonia Martin were appointed as Deputy Ombudsmen, completing the leadership team needed to enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct.
