A senator’s renewed call for the police chief to step back keeps the cocaine probe at the center of debate. Samuel G. Kogar warns that credibility, not personality, must drive the investigation forward. His intervention defends a colleague whose questions drew a demand for evidence from the police. By insisting that questions are not proof, Kogar draws a line around legislative oversight. He presses instead for answers on appointments, equipment and intelligence rather than political combat. The stance reflects a growing bloc of lawmakers increasingly wary of who now controls the inquiry. At stake is whether the probe can command public trust while its commander remains a subject of scrutiny. THE ANALYST reports.
Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has renewed his call for the suspension or voluntary recusal of Liberia National Police (LNP) Inspector General Gregory O.W. Coleman from the ongoing investigation into Liberia’s major cocaine trafficking scandal.
Kogar, in a social-media statement titled “The Focus Must Remain on the Drug Investigation,” said the priority should be preserving the integrity, independence and credibility of the probe rather than allowing it to become a political confrontation.
“In order to protect the integrity and credibility of the ongoing drug investigation, the Inspector General of Police should either be suspended or recuse himself from the process,” Kogar wrote.
He said recent developments involving Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh had reinforced his concerns about how the investigation was being handled.
Konneh Controversy
Kogar’s intervention comes amid a developing controversy between Senator Konneh and the police following a request from the Inspector General for evidence concerning public statements the Gbarpolu senator made about the cocaine investigation.
Konneh has confirmed receiving the communication and has referred the matter to his lawyer after the Senate Security Committee reviewed the letter.
Kogar said that if Konneh had specific information that could assist investigators, he should provide it to the appropriate authorities. However, he cautioned against drawing conclusions from Konneh’s public questions.
“But asking questions about who may be behind a major drug operation should not, by itself, be treated as evidence that the person asking those questions knows the identities of those involved,” he added. Kogar’s comments appeared aimed at separating legitimate legislative questioning from the evidentiary standards required in a criminal investigation.
Questions Over LDEA Leadership
The Nimba senator also raised questions surrounding the appointment or recommendation of Fitzgerald Biago to a leadership position at the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
“Who recommended Fitzgerald Biago for the leadership role he held at the LDEA? What was the process behind that recommendation?” Kogar asked.
He said such questions should be answered through records and established procedures rather than political speculation. Kogar also raised questions concerning communications equipment, including a Starlink device allegedly brought through Roberts International Airport (RIA).
“Who brought it into the country? Who was it intended for? Where did it eventually end up, and who has been using it?” he asked. The senator stressed that he was not accusing any individual of wrongdoing by raising the questions.
‘I Am Not Making Conclusions’
Kogar was careful to frame his intervention as a call for investigation rather than an accusation against specific individuals. “I am not making conclusions against anyone,” he said. “I am asking questions that I believe a credible and transparent investigation should be able to answer.”
The senator said the central issue should remain the identification of the people behind the alleged trafficking operation and the mechanisms that allowed it to occur. For Kogar, the investigation must ultimately establish who brought the drugs into Liberia, who facilitated the operation, who financed it, and whether anyone in authority was involved.
‘Follow The Evidence’
Kogar warned against allowing the investigation to degenerate into a political contest between individual politicians, the government and the opposition. “This should not become Senator Konneh against the Police, government against opposition, or one political party against another,” he said.
Instead, he called for investigators to be allowed to follow the evidence wherever it leads. The senator said the investigation should be conducted without fear or favoritism and that anyone found to have participated in the drug operation should face the law.
Pressure For Independent Investigation
Kogar’s latest statement adds to mounting calls from lawmakers and political actors for greater transparency in the government’s handling of the drug investigation. His call for the Police IG to suspend himself or be recused also places renewed focus on whether Liberia’s security institutions can conduct the probe in a manner that commands public confidence.
For Kogar, the issue extends beyond the current dispute involving Senator Konneh, and he argues that the investigation must address the broader network behind the alleged operation rather than becoming focused on political personalities. The central questions, he maintains, remain unanswered: who brought the drugs into Liberia, who financed and facilitated the operation, and whether anyone within the state apparatus assisted those involved.