EMBATTLED FORMER EPA BOSS Professor Wilson Tarpeh has seriously frowned on reports of allegation of corruption in a letter sent to the CEO of the Spoon Network in Liberia. On 23 of July 2024, a Spoon Network panelist Ambulah Maimey alleged that he had received reliable information from a source at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that Prof. Tarpeh had illegally received money from the institution, an action that amounts to corruption.
IT CAN BE RECALLED that Prof. Tarpeh was recently removed by President Boakai from the EPA where he served as Acting Executive Director under former President George M. Weah. This decision was challenged at the Supreme Court as Prof. Tarpeh argued that his office was tenured. According to the tenured laws of Liberia, officials serving tenure positions must served a full term as designated by the Act that establishes the institution, and that such officials can only be removed for established cause.
ON APRIL 24, 2024, the Supreme Court of Liberia denied Wilson Tarpeh’s claim to a seven-year tenure as head of the EPA. This ruling came after an initial ruling in March when the Supreme Court issued a writ of prohibition against Dr. Emmanuel Urey Yarkpwolo who was appointed by President Joseph Boakai as Interim Executive Director of the EPA. Tarpeh, who was appointed in October 2020 as head of the environmental agency by Former President George Weah, argued he was entitled to the tenure. However, the Supreme Court disagreed over the absence of a policy council, a body that vets and qualifies a tenured head of the EPA – “In the absence of the formation of, and a recommendation from, the Policy Council, the appointment of the petitioner by former President Weah was an interim appointment for which tenure is inapplicable.”
IN HIS LETTER dated 24 July 2024, the embattled former EPA executive accused the Spoon Network of leveling unsubstantiated allegations against him. He affirmed calling on the show to ascertain the facts of the allegation, but that the Spoon Network panelist Maimey could not provide valid evidence to his claims. Prof. Tarpeh expressed concerns that the Liberian people are easily believing of what they hear on the media, and that it was very important that panelists seek out the validity of their claims before going public with damaging allegations.
ACCUSING THE SPOON NETWORK of slender, and calling the panelists claims as unfair, wrong and unacceptable, he gave the Network seventy-two (72) hours to provide evidence of the allegations or retract same and apologize to him publicly. We are yet to see an official response from the Spoon Network. It is believed that Prof. Tarpeh will seek legal redress should the Network fails to meet his demand. Prof. Tarpeh is one who believes strongly in seeking redress through the courts when he thinks he has reasons to believe his rights are being violated.
Dr. Clarence R. Pearson, Sr. is a Liberian clergy and social scientist with strong interest in advancing global peace, human rights, a safe planet, and social equity. He holds a BA in Theology, and MA with distinction from the Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation, University of Liberia. He also graduated with honor from the Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA with A PhD in Psychology and Counseling. Dr. Pearson is a social researcher, an educator, and an author. He has over 29 years of practical professional experience in post-conflict peace-building, recovery, and development with emphasis in both the public and private sector.