FLASHBACK: PUL President Julius Kanubah taking the oath of office promising that the “watchdogs” of the society should themselves be watched
Findings by an independent investigation panel has “established serious lapses in governance, financial management and accountability in the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL), the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) recently disclosed in Monrovia.
At the center of the investigation, which grew out of two complaints, were two top officials of RAL.
The independent investigative committee was set up some time ago by PUL President, Julius Kanubah.
Details of the investigative committee’s report:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT INTO CERTAIN OPERATIONS OF THE REPORTERS ASSOCIATION OF LIBERIA AS RELEASED BY THE PANEL OF JOURNLAISM AND MEDIA PROFESSIONALS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026, AT HEAD OFFICE OF PRESS UNION OF LIBERIA, WARNER AVENUE, 9TH STREET, SINKOR.
An Independent Panel, commissioned by the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), conducted a comprehensive investigation regarding certain operations of the Reporters Association of Liberia including corruption, abuse of power, and constitutional violations.
Two separate complaints were filed by Journalist J. Yekeh F. Kwaytah and a group calling itself “”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 of the RAL, including:
- Leadership crisis underpinned by lack of coordination: there exists a deep leadership crisis in the RAL, splitting the organization down the middle. Largely, 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 carrying the title of Acting Secretary General. On the other hand, the decision-making roles and involvement of Mr. Henscin Dehgar, who was elected Vice President, and Mr. Augustine Saah, who was elected Secretary General, appeared non-existent as both have failed to honor their duties for a prolonged period, constituting an abandonment of responsibilities with total disregard to the RAL constitution and membership. Henscin is currently outside Liberia (China) pursuing studies, while Augustine up to the time of the investigation worked as an Accountant at the National Food Assistance Agency – an entity of the Government of Liberia; meaning he is no longer in mainstream journalism as much as Henscin, who left Liberia for long-term studies, without resigning his position. The role of the Financial Secretary, Esther D. Johnson, is also non-existent. Because of the leadership crisis and the prolonged failure of individuals who were elected to perform certain constitutional responsibilities, the issue of the legal standing of Henscin and Saah were raised by Mr. Willie Tokpah and Mr. Bobby Tingban, who also challenged the standing of J. Yekeh F. Kwaytah to file complaint as a non-due paying member. Unfortunately, the Committee could not have access to the Financial Secretary to clearly explain her role in the entire leadership saga.
- Missing Funds: US$2,700 belonging to 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. The decision of Mr. Willie Tokpah to take possession of the money rather than placing it in the accounts of the RAL violates the spirit and letter of Article 7 of the RAL Constitution regarding the duties of officers of RAL and valid financial transactions through an established bank account.
- 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, managed, and operated by the Assistant Secretary Mr. Tingban. Although receipt of the money was later made public as a result of an apparent dispute over returning the money to the donor (Western Cluster), the failure of the RAL leadership to use the existing bank account of the organization or to open a bank account in the name of the organization shows bad faith on the part of Mr. Tokpah and Mr. Tingban.
The Panel found President Tokpah’s claims of restitution of the missing US$2,700 to be highly questionable. He only provided electronic copies of receipts to the RAL Grievance and Ethics Committee and claimed to have paid the money to the co-accused, Acting SG, Mr. Tingban. Strangely, both leaders claimed they had expended the funds, although without making full and proper disclosure to the RAL membership or providing cogent documentation to validate their claims of the expenditure. While the RAL leadership of Mr. Tokpah and Mr. Tingban strenuously attempted to challenge the legal standing of the complainants, the core issue of lack of financial management, transparency and accountability over the status of the funds remain substantial and that the challenge to the legal standing of the complainants cannot absolve the RAL leadership of Mr. Tokpah and Mr. Tingban from accountability as heads of an auxiliary of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) in keeping with the Union’s Constitution (Article 7 Sections 1&2).
Abuse of power and constitutional violations: It was established that several provisions of the RAL Constitution were violated by the Willie Tokpah leadership with respect to the appointment of the Congress and Elections Committee (Article 7 Section 1(c) and Article 10 Sections 3 & 4); the re/scheduling of elections (Article 10 Section 2 and Article 11 Section 1); circulation of financial and narrative reports (Article 10 Section 6); production of membership register (Article 10 Section 7); duties of Membership Committee (Article 15 Section 2); and organization and appointment of the Elections Committee (Article 11 Section 2). These violations constitute an abuse of power.
Recommendations
The Independent Panel strongly recommends that the PUL Leadership takes the following immediate and definitive actions:
- Smooth Transition and Accountability: That the PUL should guard the RAL into a smooth democratic leadership transition (election) considering that the tenure of the Willie Tokpah leadership had expired as of the release of this report. The RAL outgoing leadership must cooperate with the PUL to ensure a free, fair and transparent election in keeping with democratic principles. Once a credible election is conducted, the RAL new leadership must work with the PUL to ensure a comprehensive governance and financial audit of the RAL to ensure accountability of the most immediate past leadership/s and of all funds received and expended in the name of the RAL.
- Fund Turnover: The liquid cash balance of US$1,800 (out of US$2000) given to the RAL by Western Cluster, which is currently in the possession of the RAL leadership of Mr. Willie Tokpah and Mr. Bobby Tingban must be immediately turned over to the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia, which shall deposit same in the Union’s bank account. Any expenditure of this amount by the RAL shall be governed in keeping with best financial practices as shall be guarded by the PUL.
- Formal censure: That the PUL institutes a formal censure against Mr. Henscin Dehgar and Mr. Augustine Saah, two individuals who were elected to serve the RAL but have since abandoned their roles in the face of a leadership crisis. The actions of Mr. Dehgar who has been pursuing studies outside Liberia (China) and Mr. Saah who, as of the time of this investigation, had taken up employment at the National Food Assistance Agency of the Government of Liberia, constitutes a gross breach of ethical leadership and betrayal of the RAL membership, which voted them in power to serve.
- That any new leadership of the RAL should work with the PUL to address the issue of designing a policy of dues-collection in the RAL to avoid the weaponisation of dues-paying status by the RAL leadership as was being articulated by the leadership of Willie Tokpah and Bobby Tingban.
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