MONROVIA –The Board of Commissioners of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has suspended the Commission’s Executive Director, Attorney Urias Teh-Pour, and Director for Planning, Mr. Bah-Wah Brownel, over allegations of corruption, financial misconduct, abuse of office, payroll fraud, and other financial irregularities.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
The Board has also referred the two suspended officials, along with the Commission’s suspended Chairperson, Cllr. T. Dempster Brown, to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) for what it described as a comprehensive investigation into allegations of widespread corruption and the possible misuse of public and donor resources.
Announcing the decision at a news conference in Monrovia on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Acting Chairperson Cllr. Mohammed E. Fahnbulleh said the Board uncovered serious financial improprieties and institutional mismanagement after assuming leadership and reviewing the Commission’s operations.
“Upon taking over the affairs of the Commission and reviewing the institution’s records, the Board uncovered serious concerns relating to financial management, compliance with the Public Financial Management Law, and the administration of donor and public resources,” Cllr. Fahnbulleh said. He stressed that the Board’s actions were intended to protect public resources and uphold the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance.
In a startling revelation, the Board points out that one of the major concerns centers on a US$20,175 grant obtained from the UNICEF Liberia Office in October 2025. The Board alleged that available records indicate the management of the grant was conducted outside the Commission’s established financial control framework.
The Acting Chairperson disclosed that preliminary findings suggest the authorized signatory arrangements for the project funds were altered to limit access to the suspended Chairperson and the Executive Director while excluding other approved institutional signatories, including the Vice Chairperson.
“If substantiated, such actions may represent a deliberate circumvention of established financial controls intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper stewardship of donor resources,” the Board stated.
The Board further revealed that the matter came to light following correspondence from UNICEF Liberia dated June 24, 2026, indicating that portions of a report submitted on behalf of the Commission had been rejected. That communication prompted the current leadership to conduct a broader review of project documentation and financial records.
Cllr. Fahnbulleh noted that the Board subsequently requested project proposals, grant agreements, financial reports, procurement records, contracts, bank statements and other supporting documents relating to the UNICEF-funded project.
He furthered that the Board requested records were never fully produced, thereby limiting the Board’s ability to carry out its statutory oversight responsibilities and reinforcing the need for an independent investigation by the LACC.
Beyond the UNICEF grant, the Board also alleges payroll padding involving the continued inclusion of former employees and former Commissioners on the Commission’s payroll after their separation from the institution.
The Acting Chairperson said preliminary information available to the Board raises concerns that salaries and benefits may have continued to be processed in the names of individuals no longer lawfully entitled to receive compensation.
Among the names the Board said require verification during the investigation are former Commissioner Pela Boker-Wilson, Dr. Niveda Ricks-Onuoha, Gloria M. Harris, Roseline Allison Bailey, David Dahn, and several other individuals identified through a review of payroll records.
He maintained that only a forensic audit and criminal investigation can establish the full extent of any wrongdoing, identify those responsible, and determine whether any laws were violated.
The Board also disclosed that concerns over the Commission’s financial management are not new, recalling that as far back as 2022, four Commissioners formally petitioned the Auditor General to conduct an independent audit into the institution. According to the Board, that audit was never undertaken, making the current referral to the LACC both necessary and long overdue.
As part of measures aimed at preserving institutional records and protecting the integrity of the investigation, the Board announced the immediate suspension of Attorney Teh-Pour and Mr. Brownel from their official duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Board stressed that the suspensions are purely administrative and precautionary and should not be interpreted as findings of criminal liability.
“These administrative suspensions are precautionary measures taken in the interest of good governance and shall not be construed as findings of criminal liability. The individuals concerned remain entitled to all constitutional guarantees of due process and the presumption of innocence unless and until otherwise determined through the appropriate legal process,” the Board stated.
Reaffirming its commitment to institutional integrity, the Board declared that the INCHR maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, abuse of office, financial misconduct and payroll fraud.
It further called on the LACC to accord the matter the highest priority and conduct what it described as a thorough, impartial and independent investigation.
“Under our watch, transparency is not optional; accountability is not negotiable. No public official is above the law,” Cllr. Fahnbulleh declared.
