Africa-Press – Liberia. The Ministry of Labour has ruled that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Liberia wrongfully dismissed three of its former employees and has ordered the company to either reinstate them or pay a combined total of US$38,612.00 in compensation.
In a landmark ruling delivered by Boikai A. Sheriff, Director and Hearing Officer at the Ministry’s Division of Labour Standards, the Ministry found that PwC breached its own employee handbook and failed to follow due process in dismissing James Goffa, Christopher Manoballah, and Akin Berrian, all of whom had served the company for between five and seven years.
The case stems from a formal complaint filed on October 24, 2022, by the three employees through their legal counsel, Atty. Elijah W. Sahr of the Dugbor Law Firm. They accused PwC Liberia of “unfair labour practices and wrongful dismissal,” citing that the company did not issue prior warnings or performance reviews before terminating their employment.
Complainants Testify to Clean Records, Promotions
During hearings held between November 2022 and May 2025, the complainants testified that they joined PwC Liberia as interns or junior associates, gradually earning promotions due to what they described as “excellent performance.”
James Goffa, who joined PwC as an interim in 2017 and later rose to Audit Associate Two, testified that he had never received any form of disciplinary action or negative performance review during his tenure. He stated that PwC’s internal handbook requires a process of oral and written warnings before termination — none of which were followed.
Christopher Manoballah, hired in 2013 and promoted twice during his tenure, said he was informed during a Career Round Table in June 2022 that his employment might be at risk. However, he too received no formal warnings before his termination on October 30, 2022.
Akin Berrian, the third complainant, described a similar trajectory and said they were collectively shocked by the abrupt dismissal letters and sought legal recourse after presenting all necessary documents to their lawyer.
PwC Defends Action, Cites Poor Performance and Exam Failures
In its defense, PwC, represented by Atty. Kadijalu Tall-Nasser, Atty. Prince E. Decker, and Atty. Aston Arman of Heritage Partners and Associates, insisted that the dismissals were based on consistent underperformance and failure by the complainants to complete professional examinations required by PwC policies.
Their witness, Prince Taylor, a senior assurance manager, testified that the complainants were repeatedly reminded to complete their ACCA exams and meet internal performance benchmarks but failed to do so despite tuition and exam support from the company.
Another witness from PwC Ghana, Samuel Ayettey, who served as coach to Goffa and Manoballah, claimed the two were rated poorly in annual assessments and failed to follow their own schedules for completing professional qualifications.
Ministry of Labour Cites Breach of Due Process
However, in its ruling dated June 5, 2025, the Ministry determined that PwC failed to follow disciplinary protocols outlined in its own staff handbook, including the mandatory sequence of oral warning, written warning, and final written warning prior to dismissal.
“We hold the conviction that the Complainants were wrongfully discharged,” Hearing Officer Sheriff stated in the ruling. “It is our holding that Defendant/PwC reinstates the Complainants and pay all their entitlements and benefits as if they were not dismissed — or in lieu of reinstatement, pay each of them 14 months’ salary.”
The Ministry cited Chapter 14, Section 14.10 of the Decent Work Act of 2015 as legal backing for the decision.
Meanwhile, PwC has appealed the ruling at the National Labour Court for Montserrado County.
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