MONROVIA – Finley Y. Karngar has resigned as Chairman of the Office of the Ombudsman, a move accepted by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai with immediate effect, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Executive Mansion.
In the official communication issued on March 10, 2026, President Boakai thanked Cllr. Karngar for his service to the Republic of Liberia and acknowledged his contributions to the work of the Office of the Ombudsman in promoting ethical standards and integrity in public service.
The President commended Karngar for his dedication and commitment during his tenure and wished him well in his future endeavors. The Executive Mansion also reaffirmed the administration’s determination to strengthen integrity institutions and promote transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct across all levels of government.
Karngar’s resignation, however, comes amid mounting controversy following an investigative report published by Verity Online News that alleged serious ethical misconduct involving the former Ombudsman Chairman.
According to the report, a 13-page leaked investigative document and a series of audio recordings allegedly implicated Karngar in a salary kickback scheme involving his Special Assistant, Francis K. D. Cooper.
The investigation reportedly concluded that between April and July 2025, Karngar allegedly instructed Cooper to remit US$500 from his monthly salary and provide an additional US$30 to US$35 for phone scratch cards. The payments were allegedly framed as a condition tied to the employee’s continued employment.
The report further claimed that tensions escalated when Cooper refused to continue making the payments, ultimately leading to his dismissal from the Ombudsman office on October 31, 2025. Investigators reportedly determined that the termination did not comply with Civil Service Standing Orders.
Cooper’s complaint reportedly centered on two main allegations. First, that claims of poor performance, incompetence, and dishonesty were used merely as a justification for his dismissal. Second, that the Ombudsman Chairman had allegedly demanded a portion of his salary under the guise of maintaining what was described as harmonious employment.
Investigators reportedly examined a wide range of evidence, including covert audio recordings, WhatsApp conversations, mobile money transaction records, and internal correspondence within the office. Some of the leaked recordings allegedly referenced monthly transfers described as “the small portion of the money,” along with requests for scratch cards.
As part of the inquiry, seven staff members from the Office of the Ombudsman were invited to testify before the investigative panel, with six appearing under oath. Among them was the Human Resources Director and several senior officials.
During testimony, the HR Director reportedly stated that she declined an instruction to dismiss Cooper because doing so would have violated established Civil Service procedures. She also reportedly confirmed that Cooper had successfully completed his probation and had no adverse performance evaluations on record.
Following news of Karngar’s resignation, Anderson D. Miamen, Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, welcomed the development but called for greater accountability and transparency regarding the allegations.
Writing on his official Facebook page, Miamen stated that while Karngar’s resignation was welcome, the public deserved to know the full outcome of the internal investigation that reportedly established wrongdoing.
He further argued that the practice of asking public officials accused of misconduct to simply resign does little to address impunity or strengthen public confidence in the government’s commitment to tackling corruption and abuse of power in Liberia’s public institutions.
