The Council through its Chair Loretta Pope -Kai, urged the President that it’s time for action against Liberia’s Commerce Inspector General Dorr Cooper, and surrender him to legal authorities for investigation.
Monrovia – Amid recent action by the state-run University of Liberia (UL) to dismiss eight of its staff in relation to aiding and abetting academic fraud, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL) has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to take action against the main character in the center of all this.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
In a statement issued by the NCSCL on Sunday, May 4, 2025, the Council urged the President that it’s time for action against Liberia’s Commerce Inspector General Dorr Cooper, and surrender him to legal authorities for investigation.
Since the September 2024 UL graduation and convocation ceremony held at the Alexander Romeo Horton College of Business and Public Administration, there has been report of academic fraud by Inspector General Cooper and as such, that led to the University launching a probe into his academic background.
And on the heel of the probe, the state-owned University declared him (Door Cooper) persona non grata. As revealed by the Vice President for UL’s Relations, Mr. Norris Tweah, it was uncovered that Cooper falsely claimed to be both a student and a graduate of the institution.
Outcome of an investigation, which was conducted by the Special Committee on Academic Fraud indicates that Inspector Cooper allegedly paid US$10,000 to staff to fraudulently obtain an undergraduate degree in Public Administration. The report also revealed that Cooper impersonated a deceased student to secure academic credentials.
Based on this report, the UL went on to recently dismiss eight of its employees, who were said to have been involved in the saga.
The CSO Council, which is the umbrella organization for all civil society organizations in the country, indicated in its Sunday’s statement that the President should see reason to take an action against Cooper.
“The facts are there. Dorr Cooper was accused of academic fraud and his degree was revoked. The UL launched an investigation into this same thing and found several of its staff were involved into several of these acts, then what is the President still waiting on? The President must take action now,” said the Council.
The report discovered “coordinated acts of academic fraud” involving staff mainly from the Department of Public Administration (PADM), the Office of Enrollment Services (OES), and the Office of Information Technology (OIT).
“If this President means business of restoring or maintaining public trust in his government, he must leave no stone unturned in taking decisive actions accused of corruption of all kinds including academic fraud,” the Council stated in the statement signed by its Chairperson Madam Loretta Pope-Kai.
