Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has declared herself innocent of the drug-trafficking charges brought against her and says she welcomes the chance to challenge the State’s evidence in court. In a press statement issued in Monrovia, her office acknowledged the formal start of proceedings following her 11-count indictment by the Montserrado County Grand Jury, and said the case gives her defense team an opportunity to test the allegations and ensure that her constitutional rights and due process protections are respected. The former Vice President also thanked Liberians at home and abroad for their prayers and support, and urged them to keep faith in the rule of law, as THE ANALYST reports.
“The Office reiterates, unequivocally, Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor’s position that she is innocent of the allegations against her,” the statement said. “She remains confident that the judicial process will ultimately establish the facts and looks forward to her Defense Team presenting her case through the proper legal channels.”
According to the statement, the indictment gives the defense the opportunity “to scrutinize the purported evidence, test the allegations before the appropriate judicial forum, and ensure that Madam Howard-Taylor’s constitutional rights and due process protections are fully respected.”
Her office said she remains grateful for the confidence and solidarity shown to her by supporters, friends, colleagues and well-wishers, and called on everyone “to continue to place their faith in due process, the rule of law, and the pursuit of justice.”
Madam Howard-Taylor, Vice President from 2018 to 2024, is charged alongside former security officials and five foreign nationals in connection with the seizure of more than four metric tons of cocaine in June and July 2026. Criminal Court “C” has issued a writ for the arrest of all the defendants.