MONROVIA – Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has formally challenged the legal basis of the drug probe’s command structure. Writing to Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, he argued the transfer from the LDEA to the LNP was procedurally irregular. Narcotics cases belong to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) by law. Any escalation, he maintained, should first have passed through the National Security Council before the police assumed authority. Kogar is demanding call records, NSC authorization documents, and documents explaining suspect Oscar Browne’s release. He also questioned whether President Boakai authorized Inspector General Gregory Coleman’s investigative team. As THE ANALYST’S Anthony Q. Jiffan, Jr. reports, the issue is not only who trafficked the drugs but whether the probe itself followed the law.
Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has intensified his campaign for greater transparency in the ongoing investigation into Liberia’s reported US$19 million (L$3.46 billion) drug case. He has formally requested the Senate to obtain critical security documents and evidence he believes are essential to uncovering the full truth behind one of the country’s most consequential criminal investigations.
In a communication addressed to Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Kogar expressed concern over unanswered questions surrounding the conduct of the investigation, arguing that several key procedural and legal issues remain unresolved despite months of public scrutiny.
Kogar questions probe’s institutional basis
The latest communication follows Kogar’s earlier calls for a more transparent investigation. He had previously urged the Senate to summon the Joint Security leadership to explain the status of the investigation and warned that officials responsible for the probe should face appropriate administrative action, including possible removal, if they failed to satisfactorily account for the handling of the matter.
His earlier remarks sparked a public exchange with Liberia National Police (LNP) Inspector General Gregory Coleman, who dismissed Kogar’s criticisms and accused the senator of “talking loosely.” Coleman maintained that investigators were professionally handling the case and appealed for patience.
In his latest communication, Kogar questioned the legal and institutional basis upon which the investigation was transferred from the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) to the Liberia National Police.
According to him, investigations involving illicit narcotics are, by law, primarily the responsibility of the LDEA. He argued that if intelligence gathered by authorities indicated the matter had escalated into a broader national security concern, the case should first have been brought before the National Security Council for policy direction and coordination.
Kogar contended that the National Security Council should have convened to establish a special investigative committee before responsibility for the investigation shifted to the LNP. In his view, such a process would have ensured institutional legitimacy, enhanced interagency coordination, and strengthened public confidence in the investigation.
The senator said lawmakers deserve a comprehensive explanation detailing how and why the country’s lead anti-drug agency was sidelined in favor of the police.
Kogar wants phone records, Browne documents
Kogar also wants authorities to disclose whether any foreign law enforcement or international security institution is assisting Liberian investigators in pursuing the case.
He further argued that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., who serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Chairman of the National Security Council, should inform the Senate whether he authorized or presided over any council decision establishing the current investigative team headed by Inspector General Coleman.
Drawing comparisons with the investigation into the Capitol Building fire, Kogar noted that multiple security agencies, including the LNP, the National Fire Service, and the National Security Agency (NSA), worked collaboratively and produced arrests within a relatively short period.
He questioned why similar levels of interagency coordination and visible investigative progress have not been demonstrated in the ongoing drug case.
The senator also raised concerns over what he described as the apparent absence of critical telecommunications evidence. He argued that investigators should be able to produce telephone call logs and related communication records involving persons of investigative interest, insisting that such evidence could significantly advance efforts to establish the facts surrounding the case.
Senate committee asked to seek key documents
To strengthen the Senate’s constitutional oversight role, Kogar urged the Legislature’s Committee on Defense, Intelligence, Security and Veteran Affairs to formally request a series of key documents from relevant government institutions.
Among the documents he wants obtained are all available telephone call records involving individuals linked to the investigation; the official National Security Council communication appointing the Inspector General of Police to lead the investigative team; and all documentation relating to the reported release of Oscar Browne, identified as the Security Director for Intelligence at Roberts International Airport (RIA).
The senator also called on the Ministry of Justice or the Judiciary to provide the legal instrument authorizing Browne’s release from detention. Additionally, he recommended that Browne’s legal counsel be invited to appear before the Senate Plenary with documentary evidence explaining the legal basis and circumstances surrounding his client’s release.
Kogar concluded by reminding his colleagues of the Senate’s constitutional responsibility to exercise oversight over the Executive Branch and national security institutions.
He urged lawmakers to pursue the requested documents and ensure that the investigation is conducted in a manner that is transparent, accountable, and capable of restoring public confidence in Liberia’s justice and security institutions.
The Senate is expected to consider Kogar’s communication as public pressure continues to mount for a thorough and credible conclusion to the investigation.