From the Office of the PUL President
An Independent Panel, commissioned by the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), conducted a comprehensive investigation regarding certain operations of the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL), including allegations of corruption, abuse of power, and constitutional violations.
Two separate complaints were filed by Journalist J. Yekeh F. Kwaytah and a group calling itself the “Majority Leaders of the Reporters Association of Liberia,” consisting of Augustine T. Saah (Secretary General) and Henscin Dehgar (Vice President). At the center of the two complaints are RAL President Willie N. Tokpah and Assistant Secretary Bobby Melvin Tingban (Acting Secretary General).
The investigation established serious lapses in governance, financial management, and accountability within the RAL, including:
Leadership Crisis Underpinned by Lack of Coordination
There exists a deep leadership crisis within the RAL, splitting the organization down the middle. For the most part, the governance of the RAL is being performed by Mr. Willie Tokpah (President) and Mr. Bobby Tingban, who was elected as Assistant Secretary General but now carries the title of Acting Secretary General.
On the other hand, the decision-making roles and involvement of Mr. Henscin Dehgar (Vice President) and Mr. Augustine Saah (Secretary General) appeared non-existent. Both failed to honor their duties for a prolonged period, constituting an abandonment of responsibilities with total disregard for the RAL constitution and membership. Mr. Dehgar is currently outside Liberia (China) pursuing studies, while Mr. Saah, at the time of the investigation, worked as an Accountant at the National Food Assistance Agency—an entity of the Government of Liberia. This means he is no longer in mainstream journalism. Similarly, Mr. Dehgar left Liberia for long-term studies without resigning from his position.
The role of the Financial Secretary, Esther D. Johnson, is also non-existent. Because of this leadership crisis and the prolonged failure of elected individuals to perform their constitutional responsibilities, the legal standing of Mr. Dehgar and Mr. Saah was challenged by Mr. Tokpah and Mr. Tingban. They also challenged the standing of J. Yekeh F. Kwaytah to file a complaint as a non-dues-paying member. Unfortunately, the Committee could not gain access to the Financial Secretary to clarify her role in this leadership saga.
Missing Funds
- US$2,700 belonging to the RAL went missing while in the personal custody of President Tokpah, who claimed the funds were later stolen during a fire incident at his previous residence. Mr. Tokpah’s decision to take possession of the money rather than depositing it into the RAL accounts violates Article 7 of the RAL Constitution regarding the duties of officers and valid financial transactions through established bank accounts.
- Irregular Routing: US$2,000 intended for a training program was routed through the private institutional account of the Jonathan Paye-Layleh School of Journalism, which is owned and operated by the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Tingban. Although the receipt of the money was later made public following a dispute over returning the funds to the donor (Western Cluster), the failure of the RAL leadership to use the organization’s existing bank account shows bad faith on the part of Mr. Tokpah and Mr. Tingban.
The Panel found President Tokpah’s claims of restitution regarding the missing US$2,700 to be highly questionable. He provided only electronic copies of receipts to the RAL Grievance and Ethics Committee and claimed to have paid the money to the co-accused, Mr. Tingban. Strangely, both leaders claimed they had expended the funds without making full disclosure to the membership or providing cogent documentation. While the leadership attempted to challenge the legal standing of the complainants, the core issues of financial mismanagement and lack of transparency remain substantial. Such challenges cannot absolve the RAL leadership from accountability as heads of a PUL auxiliary, in keeping with Article 7, Sections 1 & 2 of the Union’s Constitution.
Abuse of Power and Constitutional Violations
It was established that several provisions of the RAL Constitution were violated by the Willie Tokpah leadership, specifically regarding:
- The appointment of the Congress and Elections Committee.
- The rescheduling of elections.
- The circulation of financial and narrative reports.
- The production of the membership register.
- The duties of the Membership Committee.
- The organization and appointment of the Elections Committee.
These violations constitute an abuse of power.
Recommendations
The Independent Panel strongly recommends that the PUL Leadership take the following immediate actions:
- Smooth Transition and Accountability: The PUL should guide the RAL into a democratic leadership transition (election), as the tenure of the Willie Tokpah leadership has expired. The outgoing leadership must cooperate to ensure a free and fair election. Once a new leadership is seated, the PUL must ensure a comprehensive governance and financial audit of the RAL to ensure accountability for all funds received and expended.
- Fund Turnover: The liquid cash balance of US$1,800 (remaining from the US$2,000 provided by Western Cluster), currently held by Mr. Tokpah and Mr. Tingban, must be immediately turned over to the Press Union of Liberia for deposit into the Union’s bank account.
- Formal Censure: The PUL should institute a formal censure against Mr. Henscin Dehgar and Mr. Augustine Saah for abandoning their roles. Their actions constitute a gross breach of ethical leadership and a betrayal of the membership that voted them into power.
- Dues Policy: The new RAL leadership should work with the PUL to design a clear dues-collection policy to avoid the “weaponization” of dues-paying status by leadership.
Signed:
- Mrs. Zeowheh Saywrayne–Sumo, Member
- Mr. Henry Karmo, Member
- Mr. C. Elwood Dunn, Member
- Mrs. Wilhemina Garr–Stevens, Member
- Abraham K. Morris, Sr., Secretary
- Mrs. Lucia Dohr, Co-Chairperson
- Mr. Augustus D.R. Bortue, Chairman
Attested: Beatrice Tetee Sieh Vice President, PUL / Ex-Officio