Witness Protection Agency Applauds President Boakai
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!!
The Witness Protection Agency (WPA) Applauds President Boakai's Call to amend the Whistleblower Act of 2021 thereby strengthening relevant provisions to provide incentive for reporting persons and to accentuate Transparency and Accountability in the Mining Sector and other sectors of the Government
Monrovia, Liberia - March 27, 2026
The Witness Protection Agency (WPA) of Liberia commends His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., for calling on relevant Agencies under the Executive Branch of the Government to initiate the review and subsequent legislative amendment of the Whistleblower Act of 2021 to incentivize reporting, combat smuggling, and strengthen governance, accountability, and transparency across Liberia's mineral and mining sector as well as other sectors of the Government of Liberia.
The President's statement at the third cabinet meeting of 2026 held on March 26, 2026 at the Executive Mansion under the theme: "Positioning Liberia for Mineral-led Development and National Posterity, Governance, Growth and Accountability in Liberia's Mineral Sector" is a bold and necessary step that deepens the government's commitment to justice, integrity, and responsible resource management while emphasizing the protection and incentivization of whistleblower and or reporting persons. The WPA recognizes this policy statement from His Excellency President Boakai as a decisive advancement in the national effort to intentionally fight corruption, promote lawful conduct, and protect those who courageously come forward with disclosure against public and private wrong in the interest of the people of Liberia.
Effective anti-corruption frameworks stand or fall on the strength of a country witness and whistleblower protection program in support of the criminal justice system and protection of Human Rights. The Witness Protection Act of 2021 establishes the legal foundation for safeguarding individuals who provide disclosure or information essential to evidence commission of a crime or violation of an existing law to advance the cause of justice. Similarly, Sections 6, 12 & 16 of the Whistleblower Act of 2021 reinforces this principle, requiring that those who make protected disclosure and report wrongdoing receive protection from retaliation and, where appropriate, receive rewards/incentives for courageous act in the public interest.
Moreover, President Boakai's push to strengthen the Whistleblower Act aligns directly with international best practices, including those enshrined in Articles 32 and 33 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). UNCAC emphasizes responsibility of state party to ensure the protection of whistleblower/reporting persons against fear of retaliation and other injustices. The lack of national laws that provide punitive measures for persons and institutions engage in retaliation and other forms of injustices against whistleblower/reporting persons remains one of the greatest barriers to exposing corruption and illicit activity, hence the President's policy statement could not have come at a better time than now.
By advancing proportional rewards/incentives and protections for whistleblowers and witnesses, the government of Liberia reaffirms its commitment to these global standards as enshrined in UNCAC and Pillar 3, Strategic Policy 13 and Pillar 4 Strategic Policy 15 of the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) and the Sustainable development Goals (SDCs) 16. The WPA recognizes that strong witness and whistleblower protection is indispensable in tackling the specific challenges President Boakai has identified, like limited transparency in the mining sector illegal extraction, resource smuggling, and weak accountability mechanisms at both national and local levels. To close this gap, the WPA strongly supports the establishment and full resourcing of a Safe Witness and Whistleblower Program as a cornerstone of Liberia's anti-corruption architecture. Meanwhile, the WPA insists that stronger legal frameworks must be matched by equally strong implementation. Laws alone do not protect people; enforcement does.
Hence, the WPA calls on law enforcement institutions, mining sector regulators, and anti-corruption institutions to coordinate closely so that information whistleblowers provide drives real investigation, prosecution, and accountability in Liberia.
The WPA therefore calls on all citizens, employees of the Government of Liberia, private sector actors. civil society organizations, among others to report all cases involving Corruption (including High profile Corruption), Organized Crimes, Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, Sexual Offenses, Smuggling Minerals, other felonies as well as public and private wrong and further assures the public of strict adherence to confidentiality as required by Section 7(1) and (2) of the Witness protection Act of 2021 which makes unauthorized disclosure of the identity and information of the whistleblower and witness included in the Witness Protection program a felony of the first degree, punishable by imprisonment for a period not less than five (5) years and not more than ten ( 10) years.
Therefore. Witness Protection Agency reaffirms its unwavering commitment to implementing the Witness protection Act of 2021 and advancing the Whistleblower framework as contained in the Whistleblower Act of 2021. We stand ready to collaborate with the Executive especially the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Legislature, and all relevant partner to build a resilient, transparent, and accountable Liberia, one that protects both its courageous Whistleblowers/reporting persons and its resources. President Boakai has issued a clear call. The moment demands action. Strengthening protections for witnesses and whistleblowers is not simply a legal reform; it is a national imperative in the pursuit of justice, good governance, and sustainable development.
Signed
Elijah Jaryenneh
Assistant Manager for Public Affairs