HoR Holds Public Hearing On Anti-Corruption Bills

By Fiona Benson Kollie

On Friday, January 30, 2026, the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Good Governance and Judiciary held a preliminary public hearing.

The hearing was on four key integrity and governance institutions, including the Law Reform Commission, Governance Commission, Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), and the Office of the Ombudsman.

It included four critical pieces of proposed legislations to strengthen Liberia’s anti-corruption framework.

The bills under review are

Act to Amend Title 26, Penal Law, Liberian Codes of Law Revised, to provide for illicit enrichment and corruption; an Act to amend title criminal procedure law, Liberian Codes of Law Revised to re-define the burden of proof and statute of limitation for corruption, Acts of corruption, and illicit enrichment; An Act to amend an Act establishing the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (July 22, 2022); and Act to amend Part V, Part XII, and to provide additional definitions to the national code of conduct for all public officials and employees of government.

The hearing was described as tense and engaging, as representatives of the Executive Branch and integrity institutions, presented their views on the proposed amendments.

While there were no objections raised to three of the four bills, concerns were expressed regarding specific provisions in the proposed amendment to the act establishing the LACC.

Particularly, attention was drawn to a provision addressing the tenure and removal of LACC Commissioners.

The proposal maintained that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Act, a Commissioner of the LACC may be removed by the President only for cause, including proven misconduct, gross breach of duty, incapacity, or conviction for an offense involving moral turpitude (immorality).

Under the proposed amendment, where the President seeks the removal of a tenured Commissioner, a written recommendation stating the grounds for removal must be submitted to the National Legislature as recommended by the LACC.

The Legislature would then conduct a review and ensure the affected Commissioner is afforded due process, including notice and an opportunity to be heard. A Commissioner would be removed only upon confirmation by a resolution of the Legislature, adopted by a simple majority vote of members present and voting. Any removal carried out without such legislative review and confirmation would be null and void.