Former Liberia Chess president demands audit after Karyah resigns

Published: September 10, 2025

MONROVIA — Former Liberia Chess Federation (LCF) president Williams Telebo Thompson has called for an audit of government funds allocated to the federation following the resignation of current president Thomas G. Karyah.

Karyah stepped down Sunday for the second time in less than a year, citing professional commitments outside of chess.
“After careful reflection and with the federation’s best interests in mind, I now formally step down as president of the Liberia Chess Federation, effective immediately,” Karyah wrote in his resignation letter, which was copied to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the African Chess Confederation and FIDE Zone 4.2.

He said his resignation was intended to allow the sport to continue growing as a platform for socioeconomic development and inclusion.

But Thompson, who led the federation before Karyah’s 2022 election, said the outgoing president must account for government funding.
“If the president wants to be a free man, he should give an account of money given by the government to the federation,” Thompson told reporters Monday at his Rehab residence. “I am calling on both the Internal Audit Agency and the General Auditing Commission to conduct an audit of government funds provided to the LCF in the last three years of Karyah’s leadership.”

Thompson accused Karyah of misappropriating funds and leaving the federation indebted to creditors.
“We are not going to accept his resignation because he did not provide a comprehensive financial report over the years,” he said.

LCF treasurer Martin Doe also blasted Karyah’s exit, describing it as “a joke and mockery” of the federation. In a message posted to the group’s official WhatsApp platform, Doe accused Karyah of damaging the organization.
“All I can say is, who do you expect to fix a federation that you by 85% scrambled and 15% destroyed by all of your accomplices?” Doe wrote.

Karyah previously resigned in November 2024 amid criticism over alleged financial mismanagement but was reinstated in January after reconciliation efforts by government officials and chess stakeholders.

Under the federation’s constitution, Vice President Gonkartee Dekpah is expected to assume the presidency.