By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – The STAND-Led Liberia Protest Coalition has sharply criticized President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s nationwide address on the ongoing US$19 million cocaine seizure investigation, arguing that the President’s remarks offered promises rather than concrete answers to mounting public concerns surrounding one of Liberia’s largest narcotics scandals.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, and signed by STAND Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu, the coalition dismissed the President’s appeal for patience and instead renewed its call for an independent international investigation into the case, insisting that public confidence in the government’s handling of the matter continues to erode.
The coalition’s statement comes amid growing national debate over the June 8 seizure of approximately 237.6 kilograms of cocaine at Roberts International Airport, a shipment valued at more than US$19 million. While President Boakai has pledged that no individual or institution connected to the case will be spared from investigation, STAND argues that the government’s response has failed to address critical questions being raised by the public.
According to the coalition, Liberians expected the President’s address to provide specific details, including the identities of key suspects, a clear timeline for the investigation, and concrete actions being taken against those allegedly linked to the trafficking network. Instead, STAND contends that the address amounted to a public relations exercise that asked citizens to trust the process without offering sufficient evidence that accountability is being pursued at all levels.
“We are faced with a growing drug trafficking problem where some of President Boakai’s officials are allegedly in the middle of an egregious narcotic trafficking ring,” the coalition claimed, while asserting that investigative trails they are monitoring allegedly point to individuals occupying senior positions within government and security institutions.
The group further alleged that the network under scrutiny may involve senior members of the Liberia National Police, national security officials, local and foreign business figures, presidential advisers, and even individuals connected to the President’s family. However, no evidence was presented in the statement to substantiate those allegations.
For STAND, the central concern is not merely the existence of allegations but whether the institutions leading the investigation can be viewed as independent and impartial. The coalition questioned the credibility of a process in which agencies operating under the Executive Branch are tasked with investigating a scandal that, according to public speculation and allegations circulating in various quarters, may potentially involve individuals within the same governmental structure.
“More troubling is the decision to place institutions that may themselves face legitimate public scrutiny at the center of the investigation,” the statement noted. “No credible democracy asks the public to blindly trust a process in which potential witnesses, possible subjects of inquiry, and investigators operate within the same chain of command.”
The coalition argued that President Boakai’s call for patience mirrors previous appeals by the leadership of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), which has repeatedly urged the public to allow investigators time to complete their work. STAND maintains, however, that the scale and sensitivity of the case require a higher level of independent oversight.
As a result, the protest movement is demanding what it describes as a hybrid investigative mechanism involving reputable international partners and independent domestic actors. According to the coalition, such an arrangement would help ensure transparency, strengthen public confidence, and protect the integrity of the investigative process.
The statement also warned against prolonged delays, arguing that the longer the investigation remains unresolved, the greater the risk that critical evidence could disappear, witness recollections could weaken, and public trust in state institutions could further deteriorate.
The latest criticism from STAND adds to increasing pressure on the Boakai administration as calls for transparency continue to intensify across the political spectrum. The controversy has transformed what initially appeared to be a significant law enforcement success into a broader test of institutional credibility, accountability, and the government’s willingness to pursue all individuals connected to the case regardless of status or influence.
With the nation awaiting the outcome of the investigation, the coalition insists that speeches and assurances alone will not satisfy public concerns. For STAND, the credibility of the government’s anti-drug campaign now rests not on declarations of zero tolerance, but on whether investigators can demonstrate that no person, institution, or political interest is beyond scrutiny.
“The people are watching. The world is watching,” the statement concluded. “The time for public relations has expired. The time for accountability has arrived.”
