Liberia’s anti-corruption debate has entered another tense phase, with the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, or CENTAL, openly questioning whether President Joseph Boakai is applying the same standard to all public officials accused of wrongdoing. The group says recent developments involving former Ombudsman Chairperson Cllr. Finley Y. Karngar and Liberia Airport Authority Managing Director Ernest Hughes point to an inconsistent response from the Executive Mansion. In one case, CENTAL says a resignation was accepted without adequate public acknowledgment of an investigative report; in another, an accused official was granted leave pending investigation. As THE ANALYST reports, the organization is arguing that such differences risk weakening public confidence in Liberia’s integrity institutions and anti-corruption campaign.
The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia has called on President Joseph N. Boakai to demonstrate stronger and more consistent political will in handling corruption allegations involving senior public officials, warning that uneven responses threaten public trust in the country’s anti-corruption institutions.
At a press briefing in Monrovia, CENTAL said recent allegations involving figures connected to Liberia’s integrity architecture have raised serious concern because the accused individuals either led or once served in institutions expected to uphold ethics, accountability, and lawful conduct in government.
The group focused heavily on the case of former Ombudsman Chairperson Cllr. Finley Y. Karngar, who was reportedly investigated over allegations that he solicited scratch cards and portions of his special assistant’s salary. CENTAL said the matter was particularly troubling because the Office of the Ombudsman is charged with promoting ethical conduct and enforcing compliance with the national code of conduct for public officials.
According to the organization, the investigative findings recommended dismissal, restitution, criminal investigation, and possible prosecution. Yet CENTAL said the Executive Mansion’s subsequent public handling of Karngar’s resignation did not adequately acknowledge the gravity of the findings or the significance of the probe that led to that outcome.
The group argued that accepting the resignation without explicitly referencing the investigative report weakened the message that public officials, especially those entrusted with integrity responsibilities, must face clear consequences when accused on the basis of documented findings.
CENTAL said Karngar’s departure from office should be seen as a step forward for accountability, but maintained that a stronger presidential response would have sent a more powerful signal to the public and to officials across government.
The organization also referenced allegations involving Ernest Hughes, former executive vice chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and current Managing Director of the Liberia Airport Authority. According to CENTAL, media reports indicate that Hughes is accused of soliciting a 15 percent kickback tied to approval of a payment of about US$1 million to a contractor.
CENTAL noted that the matter was reportedly reviewed by the LAA Board, which decided to suspend Hughes and forward the issue for investigation. However, before that decision was implemented, Hughes requested a leave of absence, which the Executive Mansion accepted while directing the Ministry of Justice to investigate.
For CENTAL, the contrast between the two cases is troubling. The organization said the government appears to be taking different approaches to allegations that, while not identical, both involve senior officials occupying or formerly occupying positions central to Liberia’s anti-corruption framework.
The group said such inconsistency feeds the perception that some officials are eased out quietly while others are handled through a more formal process, creating the impression that political calculations rather than uniform principle may be shaping anti-corruption responses.
CENTAL therefore urged President Boakai to adopt what it described as a single, uniform standard for dealing with credible allegations of corruption and misconduct. It said actions such as suspension, dismissal, investigation, restitution, and prosecution should be applied on the basis of evidence and circumstance, not status, influence, or personal proximity to power.
The organization also called on the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ministry of Justice to ensure that their respective investigations are thorough, transparent, and concluded in ways that keep the public informed.
In its closing message, CENTAL reaffirmed its support for a stronger national anti-corruption drive but warned that the credibility of that struggle depends not only on speeches and policy declarations, but on equal treatment under scrutiny. According to the group, Liberia cannot build durable confidence in integrity institutions if officials linked to those same institutions appear to be handled differently when allegations arise against them.