MONROVIA, July 3, 2026 — Liberia’s Witness Protection Agency has begun reviewing the country’s Whistleblower Protection Act to address legal gaps and strengthen safeguards for people who report corruption and other wrongdoing.
Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby II said the review, scheduled for today at Monrovia City Hall on Capitol Hill, is intended to identify weaknesses in the current law and improve protections for whistleblowers against retaliation.
Speaking ahead of a stakeholders’ consultation on the proposed amendments, Grigsby said Liberia has long lacked strong legal protections for people who expose wrongdoing. He said reforms are needed to build public confidence in reporting corruption and misconduct.
“We had little in terms of protecting rights. We had little in terms of committing to the protection of individuals who blow the whistle,” he said.
Grigsby said one major shortcoming in the existing law is that it requires every employer to prominently display the Whistleblower Protection Act in the workplace but provides no penalty for failing to comply.
He said the proposed amendments would introduce sanctions for employers who ignore the requirement, ensuring that workers are informed of their rights under the law.
The WPA director also said retaliation against employees for reporting corruption or other illegal acts is a criminal offense under Liberia’s whistleblower law.
“Sometimes, when employees provide information against their bosses at the workplace, they return the next morning to find they have been dismissed or suspended,” he said. Grigsby said the agency is empowered to intervene when a whistleblower is dismissed, suspended or otherwise punished for providing information to authorities.
He clarified that legal protection applies only to disclosures made through recognized institutions, including the Witness Protection Agency, the Ministry of Justice, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Liberia National Police and other authorized anti-corruption bodies. He warned that allegations made directly on social media or other public platforms do not automatically qualify for protection under the law.
Grigsby urged Liberians to use official reporting channels, saying the identities of whistleblowers are protected by law and cannot be disclosed by government officials.
He said the review will bring together representatives of civil society organizations, the media and government institutions to propose amendments aimed at strengthening the law and promoting greater accountability in public institutions.
Liberia enacted the Whistleblower Protection Act in 2022 as part of its commitment under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption to protect individuals who report corruption and other forms of misconduct.
