Monrovia, Liberia; August 13, 2025 – The Executive Chairperson of the Liberia National Commission on Arms (LiNCA), James M. Fromayan, trashes reports linking the Commission to corruption as lies being orchestrated by people who claim to be journalists but do not follow professional ethics in their reportage.
He clarifies there has been no audit at the commission that he is aware of, and that reports by online outlets, talk show hosts, and print media are bent on distracting his attention from the actual work of the commission.
Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, 12 August in the conference room of the Commission behind the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Monrovia, Mr. Fromayan revealed that he inherited a dilapidated LiNCA building, with leakages everywhere, including the offices of the chairperson, so he had first to refurbish the entire building.
“So we decided to give the building a facelift; we de-roofed the building and brought in new furniture and did painting”, he explains, adding, “Since I came, we were able to purchase seven (7) vehicles: 3 SUVs for Commissioners, 4 JAC pickups with three in the pool for rural arrears.”
He notes that in the face of these developments, there are people who want to besmear his image and the Commission, people, he notes, who claim to be journalists but can’t investigate before publishing or broadcasting whatever stories they have.
Chairman Fromayan says he has written formal complaints to media institutions involved and the Press Union of Liberia for intervention, and that one of the media entities has apologized, while the other has been given 72 hours to retract the story or risk being taken to court.
He suspects these activities have been the work of an Internal Auditor from the Internal Auditing Agency deployed at the Commission, who have been involved in clandestine acts, sending misinformation and lies to certain media institutions for personal motives other than professionalism, as the IAA itself has clarified that it is not aware of any audit report from the Commission neither it has conducted an audit there.
The Liberia National Commission on Arms subsequently identified the Internal Auditor involved as Matthew Lolyd Togba, who, it reveals, has been recalled by the IAA.
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of LiNCA, Attorney V. Benjamin K. Wymon, a retired Major of the Armed Forces of Liberia, notes that public service in Liberia is a difficult thing. “We inherited some very disgruntled elements- people with poor work habits. If you think that you will be here and not being supervised, that will not happen”, Atty. Wymon underscores.
He notes that Internal Auditor Matthew Togba was in a constant habit of requesting money without wanting it to be documented, adding, “I have tried to avoid what is called in Economics, recurrent expenditure, and people are not happy about this.”
He vows that under his watch as Vice Chair, “five cents will not be spent at the Commission without accountability.”
Atty. Wymon clarifies that vehicles purchased by the entity went through the procurement process, contrary to reports that they were bought single-handedly without transparency, adding that documents are available at the Commission to substantiate this.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Commission on Arms says it will shortly begin registration of single-barreled guns across the country. Chairman Fromayan explains that the exercise will start with massive public awareness campaigns that will involve county superintendents and other local leaders.
“We have written the President for funding and logistics. There is no budget line for this Commission”, he reveals. Story by Jonathan Browne.
