MONROVIA – The government has staked its credibility on a promise to let evidence, not politics, drive Liberia’s drug crackdown. That pledge arrives as public pressure mounts for authorities to name and punish those behind record narcotics seizures. Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah’s assurance that no one will be untouchable confronts a difficult balance. Officials must satisfy demands for accountability without abandoning due process or presuming guilt before trial. The stakes extend beyond a single seizure to the integrity of the entire national investigation. A misstep risks either shielding the powerful or trampling the rights of the wrongly accused. How the state manages that tension will define the entire campaign’s public legitimacy. THE ANALYST reports.
The Liberian government has issued its strongest assurance yet that its escalating campaign against illicit drugs will spare no individual or institution, with Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah declaring that investigators will follow the evidence wherever it leads, regardless of political affiliation, official position, nationality or social standing. Piah said the government would neither shield suspects nor rush to publicly accuse individuals without evidence capable of withstanding scrutiny in a court of law.
He insisted that Liberia’s response to the drug crisis must be grounded in law, due process and professional criminal investigations rather than political pressure or social media claims. The Information Minister made the disclosure Tuesday at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia. There he provided updates on the expanding drug investigation, the reported US$19.3 million (L$3.52 billion) narcotics seizure, the suspension of a senior police officer, tensions along the Liberia-Guinea border, the detention of a Liberian fishing vessel in Côte d’Ivoire and the expansion of the Presidential Scholarship Program.
‘NO ONE WILL BE UNTOUCHABLE’
Piah delivered an unequivocal warning to anyone connected to the illicit drug trade, saying the government’s investigation would have no predetermined boundaries. He described the commitment as a solemn pledge to the Liberian people. “No one and absolutely no one will be untouchable,” he declared.
According to the Minister, investigators are prepared to examine the possible involvement of current and former government officials, security personnel, Liberian citizens, foreign nationals, private companies and other actors if credible evidence establishes their participation in narcotics trafficking. He said the government’s responsibility is fundamentally different from that of social media personalities, political commentators and other non-state actors who may make allegations publicly without meeting the evidentiary standards required in criminal proceedings.
“Our approach to dealing with the drug situation is based on standards that make us different from what influencers and non-state actors will do,” Piah said. He maintained that government cannot simply name and condemn individuals because of public pressure, stressing that investigations must produce evidence that can survive judicial scrutiny. “Government cannot conduct government business that way,” he added.
US$19.3M PROBE WIDENS
Piah disclosed that the investigation surrounding the reported US$19.3 million narcotics seizure remains active, with several individuals already arrested and charged. He said some of those implicated are serving government officials, while others have reportedly been dismissed or suspended as authorities work to establish the full extent of the alleged network.
Investigators, according to the Minister, have developed what he described as “significant evidentiary leads” pointing to an organized, sophisticated and complex narcotics trafficking operation.
More strikingly, he said investigators are examining indications that the alleged network may have been operating in Liberia for several decades, potentially stretching back more than 60 years. The investigation is therefore not limited to the seizure itself, but is being used to examine the broader structure and history of narcotics trafficking in the country.
Authorities are seeking to identify not only those who allegedly transport drugs but also financiers, organizers, brokers, couriers, facilitators and possible insiders who may have enabled the operation.
The Minister warned that individuals or institutions found attempting to obstruct the investigation or compromise its integrity could also face legal consequences. He commended members of the Joint Security Investigative Task Force, describing them as professional and committed to maintaining the integrity of the investigation. The comments underscored the government’s insistence that the inquiry would be shielded from interference.
INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION
Piah said Liberia’s drug crisis cannot be effectively addressed as a purely domestic matter because international narcotics trafficking networks operate across borders.
He disclosed that the government has been working with international partners as the investigation advances and said Liberia has received support from several countries, including the United States, the Netherlands and Morocco, as well as neighboring West African states.
The level of cooperation, he said, demonstrates the seriousness with which the government and its partners view the narcotics threat.
He also described the alleged trafficking structure as a cartel that has operated in Liberia for years, asserting that the network is now coming under increasing pressure.
“The cartel is falling apart very fast,” Piah said.
He urged Liberians, particularly political leaders, to support the national campaign against narcotics rather than seek political advantage from the crisis, warning that drug trafficking poses serious threats to young people, public health, national security and long-term development.
SENIOR POLICE OFFICER SUSPENDED
The government also disclosed a major disciplinary development involving the country’s security sector. Piah said President Boakai has relieved Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitzgerald T. M. Biago of his position as Officer-in-Charge of the LDEA and indefinitely suspended him from the Liberia National Police (LNP).
The action, according to the Minister, followed an investigative report submitted to the President through the Ministry of Justice concerning alleged ethical transgressions involving the officer.
Piah said reports had linked a vehicle associated with a narcotics suspect to Biago’s office, prompting the President to order a more comprehensive investigation. An independent special administrative and ethics review committee will be established to determine whether Biago’s conduct violated the Constitution of Liberia, the National Code of Conduct, LNP administrative instructions, LDEA professional standards or other applicable laws.
The committee is expected to include representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Civil Service Agency, the Office of the Ombudsman, civil society and an appropriate independent police oversight mechanism.
VESSEL DETAINED IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE
The Information Minister also provided an update on a Liberian-flagged fishing vessel detained by Ivorian authorities after reportedly entering Côte d’Ivoire’s territorial waters. Members of the Liberian National Coast Guard who were aboard the vessel were also arrested by Ivorian authorities, Piah disclosed.
He said the Liberian government is engaging its Ivorian counterparts, including at the highest level, to secure the return of the vessel to Liberia for further investigation.
Preliminary findings, according to Piah, indicate that the vessel left Liberia and subsequently entered Ivorian territorial waters.
The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority has conducted an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s movement and the events that led to its detention.
The government’s engagement with Côte d’Ivoire is expected to determine the next steps concerning the vessel and the personnel detained with it.
BORDER TENSIONS DE-ESCALATED
Piah also acknowledged recent tensions along the Liberia-Guinea border, particularly around a buffer zone involving Guinean military personnel and Liberian joint security forces.
He said the dispute was linked primarily to the positioning of checkpoints in the border area. A high-level Guinean delegation and Liberian joint security officials subsequently met at the buffer zone on August 10 in an effort to prevent the situation from escalating.
According to Piah, both sides reaffirmed the longstanding relationship between Liberia and Guinea and agreed that security personnel from the two neighboring countries should avoid confrontation.
The parties agreed to remain calm and exercise restraint while diplomatic and security channels work toward a lasting resolution.
Piah said Liberia’s National Security Council is closely monitoring developments, and he assured the public that the border area is currently peaceful, calm and stable.
REVIEWING THE ARREST AGENDA
Meanwhile, President Boakai was chairing a high-level National Steering Committee meeting Tuesday to assess the first year of implementation of the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. The meeting was intended to evaluate progress made during the first year of the administration and identify areas requiring accelerated action to deliver measurable results to Liberians.
The National Steering Committee serves as the central oversight and strategic coordination mechanism for the agenda.
It brings together Cabinet ministers, ministries, agencies and commissions, development partners, civil society organizations, private-sector representatives and members of the Legislature, with the United Nations Resident Coordinator serving as deputy.
Piah said the broad composition of the committee reflects the administration’s view that national development cannot be treated as the sole responsibility of government. He framed the review as part of a wider effort to hold the administration to measurable targets.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM EXPANDS
In another announcement, Piah disclosed that President Boakai has approved an expansion of the Presidential Scholarship Program to cover public high schools, technical and vocational education and training institutions, universities and community colleges in all 15 counties.
The expansion follows an ongoing restructuring of the program and is intended to broaden access to educational opportunities for young Liberians.
According to Piah, it is designed to ease the financial burden on families while giving more young people access to education and skills.
The Presidential Scholarship Program was launched in December 2024 as a merit-based initiative aimed primarily at expanding access to higher education for promising Liberian students.
Since its establishment, Piah said, the program has supported more than 490 scholars across 22 colleges and universities in seven counties, including Montserrado, Margibi, Bong, Nimba, Grand Kru, Maryland and Lofa. Nearly 100 beneficiaries are also expected to graduate this year.
EVIDENCE OVER POLITICS
Throughout the briefing, Piah repeatedly returned to the government’s central message that Liberia’s response to the drug crisis will be driven by evidence rather than political considerations or public pressure.
He said the government understands the enormous public interest surrounding the narcotics investigation but must balance transparency with the need to protect ongoing investigations and preserve the rights of individuals who may ultimately face prosecution. The administration, he said, does not intend to substitute public accusations for criminal investigations.
Instead, authorities want to establish evidence strong enough to support successful prosecutions and, ultimately, convictions where wrongdoing is proven. As the investigation continues, Piah assured the public that the government will provide updates while respecting the legal and investigative processes necessary to protect the integrity of the cases. The message from the administration, he emphasized, is that the drug crackdown will not be selective, and that wherever the evidence leads, investigators will follow.