By Amos Harris
IPNEWS: The Witness Protection Agency (WPA) has intensified its engagement with lawmakers and development partners as Liberia moves to reform laws governing the protection of witnesses, whistleblowers and victims.
The Agency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, held a one-day legislative engagement with relevant committees of the National Legislature to review proposed amendments to the Witness Protection Act of 2021 and the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2021.
The engagement brought together lawmakers, government officials, anti-corruption institutions, civil society organizations, media representatives and international development partners to examine weaknesses in Liberia’s current witness and whistleblower protection framework.
Speaking at the event, Witness Protection Agency Director, Cllr. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby II, said the reform process is aimed at building a stronger and more effective system capable of protecting individuals who provide critical information or testimony in criminal investigations and other sensitive proceedings.
Grigsby noted that although the two laws were enacted in 2021, their passage did not immediately result in a fully functioning Witness Protection Agency.
He said the institution spent several years without adequate leadership, personnel, resources and operational systems.
According to him, progress began in late 2025 following the completion of a recruitment process and the appointment of the Agency’s Director and Deputy Director.
The institution subsequently began recruiting technical and administrative staff while establishing internal systems and developing protection programs.
However, Grigsby said significant challenges remain, particularly the concentration of the Agency’s services in Monrovia.
He said many citizens in rural Liberia still have limited access to witness protection services despite possessing information that could be crucial to criminal investigations and national accountability efforts.
The proposed amendments seek to expand the Agency’s mandate to explicitly cover whistleblowers and strengthen protection mechanisms for witnesses and victims.
The reforms also seek to introduce tougher penalties against retaliation and the unlawful exposure of the identities of protected persons.
Other proposals include relocation services, identity protection, psychosocial support, improved digital and cybersecurity safeguards, incentives for credible whistleblowers and the establishment of a dedicated victim-focused trust fund.
The legislative reform process follows a Cabinet directive issued by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. on March 25, 2026, calling for amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act to encourage reporting, combat smuggling and strengthen accountability and transparency, particularly in Liberia’s mineral sector.
The formal review process began with a high-level technical meeting involving the Ministry of Justice on May 5, 2026. A broader stakeholder consultation followed, bringing together dozens of institutions and participants from civil society, the media, government and development partners.
Among the major issues raised during consultations were the proposed composition of the Agency’s Board of Advisors, procedures for removing the Director and Deputy Directors, leadership eligibility requirements and the need for clear timelines for implementing the reforms.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon, said the proposed amendments strike at the heart of the Legislature’s constitutional responsibility to enact laws that protect citizens and strengthen national institutions.
Koon said corruption, economic crimes and organized wrongdoing are often exposed by individuals who witness illegal activities, discover questionable transactions or possess information that authorities need to pursue justice.
He, however, warned that citizens may remain reluctant to come forward if the State cannot guarantee their safety after they report wrongdoing.
“A citizen should never have to choose between telling the truth and protecting his or her life,” the Speaker emphasized.
Koon said the proposed reforms could play an important role in strengthening Liberia’s anti-corruption and transitional justice efforts, particularly as the country works toward establishing institutions such as an Anti-Corruption Court and a War and Economic Crimes Court.
He noted that the success and credibility of such institutions would depend partly on whether witnesses and victims feel secure enough to testify without fear of intimidation, retaliation or harm.
The Speaker called on all three branches of government to play their respective roles, stressing that the Executive must provide resources, the Judiciary must ensure fair and secure proceedings, and the Legislature must enact effective laws and provide oversight.
He assured participants that the House of Representatives would give the proposed legislation prompt and thorough consideration once formally submitted to the National Legislature.
Koon also called for continued involvement from civil society organizations and the media, saying public engagement and constructive criticism would be essential throughout the legislative reform process.
The WPA has emphasized that lawmakers are not being asked to immediately endorse the proposed amendments. Instead, the Agency is seeking rigorous scrutiny, recommendations and further consultation before the draft legislation moves toward formal legislative consideration.
The final recommendations from the engagement are expected to be consolidated into a stakeholder consultation report, which will guide the next stage of the reform process.
The initiative forms part of Liberia’s broader effort to strengthen accountability, combat corruption and align domestic laws with international commitments on anti-corruption, organized crime, human rights and the protection of victims and witnesses.
