It is often said that what one does in the dark will one day come to light, and this is the situation in the case of the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC): the Chairperson of the entity, Cllr. Dempster Brown, has been seriously linked to criminality.
The Hot Pepper investigation has unearthed that from August 2021 to July 2022, head of the INHRC Cllr. Brown was allegedly receiving the salaries of Commissioner James D. Torh and Atty. Adolphus S. Wade, who no longer work for the commission.
This paper’s investigation also revealed that the two individuals’ salaries summed to US$29,810 and US$35,761.2 for the eleven-month period. In total the two individuals’ salaries allegedly received by Cllr. Brown is US$71,582.4.
Former President George Manneh Weah appointed five commissioners at the commission. Two of thesecommissioners’ salaries Cllr. Brown has been allegedly “eating” for eleven months.
The head of the INRHC has over the years been allegedly been engaged in the criminal act of taking the salary of ghost names on the payroll of the commission. The names of Bai B. Fahnbulleh and Janet P. Johnson,who died in 2020, were kept on the payroll up to 2022.
This paper’s investigation also unearthed that Abdu-humid Kiawou was dismissed in August 2021, but hisname was still on the payroll and salary allegedly diverted to the Chairperson of the Commission, Cllr. Brown. The name of Richard Sieh, who resigned October 2020, was also kept on the payroll up to 2022, his salary allegedlytaken by Cllr. Dempster Brown.
The investigation also revealed that the six-month salaries of Cllr. Dr. Nieveda Ricks Omouha, one of the commissioners who got sick, was allegedly used by Cllr. Brown without any justifiable reason.
Apart from “eating” the sick commissioner’s salary, Cllr. Brown also went as far as using his power to send staffers home and seize their salaries. This prompted Commissioner Omouha to write members of the Liberian Senate.
Upon members of the Liberian Senate receiving the communication, they immediately asked Cllr. Brown to refund the six-month salaries of the Commissioner and staffers, but despite all of the intervention by members of the Liberian Senate Cllr. Brown is yet to refund the money.
Relating to the same issue of the six-month salaries of Cllr. Dr. Omouha, the INHRC Board of Commissioners also convene a meeting and it was agreed that Cllr. Brown refunds the six-month salaries of Cllr. Dr. Omouha.
This paper’s investigation has discovered also that,despite members of the Board of the Commissioner of INCHR agreeing that Cllr. Brown pays back the salariesof Cllr. Dr. Omouha, he is yet to do so. Investigation also unearthed that the office which is to hear complains ofhuman rights violation has been shut down for over one year by the head of the commission. The shutting down of this important office at the commission has killed the spirit of the investigation.
According to Article 11 of the Act which created the commission, the commissioners shall meet twice every month, but document in the possession of the paperindicates that, for 2023, the Board of Commissioners met 9 times instead of 24. Since the beginning of 2024, the entire first quarter (from January to March) they only met one time, which breaches the Act that created the commission. This is attributed to Cllr. Brown abandonment of administering the affairs of the commission by going into the active practice of law.
Article 14 of the Act creating the commission states thata commissioner shall not engage in another occupation, business or profession or any other activity for which he or she is paid. Document in possession of the Hot Pepperindicates that Cllr. Brown represented a client in a land case at the Civil Law Court of Montserrado County before Her Honor Bonah Eliott during the December term of court on March 7, 2024. Cllr. Brown issued a notice to vacate on his official letterhead to the tender of the estate of the late Fredrick Bryant.
According to investigation, this act on the part of Cllr. Brown violates Article 14 of the Act that created the commission. His activity has absolutely no link with thefunction and duty of the commission.
When Cllr. Brown was contacted on two occasions at his Sinkor 20th Street office, the paper was informed by the receptionist that her boss was in a serious meeting and was not in the position to see anybody.
Cllr. Brown was also contacted on his Lonestar Mobile number more than five times, but his phone rang without any response.