Monrovia, Liberia — An independent investigative panel established by the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has uncovered serious governance, financial, and constitutional breaches within the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL), following a comprehensive probe into the organization’s operations.
The findings were formally released on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the PUL headquarters in 9th Street, Sinkor, by a panel comprising journalism and media professionals.
The investigation was prompted by two separate complaints filed by journalist J. Yekeh F. Kwaytah and a group identifying themselves as the “Majority Leaders of the Reporters Association of Liberia,” represented by Augustine T. Saah, Secretary General, and Henscin Dehgar, Vice President. Both complaints centered on allegations of corruption, abuse of power, and constitutional violations involving RAL President Willie N. Tokpah and Assistant Secretary Bobby Melvin Tingban, who currently serves as Acting Secretary General.
According to the panel’s report, the RAL is experiencing a deep leadership crisis marked by poor coordination and institutional paralysis.
Governance of the association has largely been carried out by President Tokpah and Mr. Tingban, while other elected officers — including Vice President Dehgar, Secretary General Saah, and Financial Secretary Esther D. Johnson — have been largely absent from their constitutional responsibilities.
The panel noted that Mr. Dehgar is currently pursuing studies in China, while Mr. Saah, at the time of the investigation, was employed as an accountant at the National Food Assistance Agency, a government institution, raising concerns about their continued eligibility and commitment to leadership roles within a journalists’ organization.
The Financial Secretary could not be reached by the panel to clarify her role in the unfolding crisis.
On financial matters, the panel reported that US$2,700 belonging to the RAL went missing while in the personal custody of President Tokpah. Mr. Tokpah claimed the funds were later stolen during a fire incident at his former residence.
The panel, however, concluded that his decision to personally hold the funds rather than deposit them into the association’s bank account violated Article 7 of the RAL Constitution governing financial transactions.
In another case of financial impropriety, US$2,000 intended for a training program was routed through the private institutional account of the Jonathan Paye-Layleh School of Journalism, owned and operated by Mr. Tingban. Although the transaction later became public amid a dispute over returning the funds to the donor, Western Cluster, the panel described the action as evidence of bad faith, noting the failure to use or establish an official RAL bank account.
The panel further questioned President Tokpah’s claims that the missing US$2,700 had been restituted. Only electronic copies of receipts were provided, and both Mr. Tokpah and Mr. Tingban claimed the funds were expended without furnishing comprehensive documentation or making full disclosures to the RAL membership.
Beyond financial concerns, the investigation established multiple violations of the RAL Constitution under the current leadership. These include irregularities in the appointment of the Congress and Elections Committee, unlawful rescheduling of elections, failure to circulate financial and narrative reports, non-production of a membership register, and breaches relating to the duties of the Membership Committee. The panel described these actions as constituting an abuse of power.
In its recommendations, the panel urged the PUL leadership to immediately guide the RAL through a smooth and democratic leadership transition, noting that the tenure of the current leadership had expired at the time of the report’s release. It further called for a comprehensive governance and financial audit once a new leadership is elected.
The panel also recommended that the remaining US$1,800 of the Western Cluster funds currently in the possession of the RAL leadership be immediately turned over to the Press Union of Liberia for proper banking and oversight.
Additionally, the panel called for the formal censure of Vice President Henscin Dehgar and Secretary General Augustine Saah for abandoning their elected roles, describing their actions as a breach of ethical leadership and a betrayal of the RAL membership.
Finally, the report advised that any incoming RAL leadership work with the PUL to establish a clear and fair dues-collection policy to prevent the misuse of dues-paying status as a political tool within the association.
The Press Union of Liberia has yet to announce when it will act on the panel’s recommendations.
