By Socrates Smythe Saywon | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Mounting public pressure is being placed on Liberia National Police (LNP) Inspector General Gregory O.W. Coleman following the dismissal of Commissioner for Crime Services Johnny Bolar Dean, who allegedly admitted receiving a US$10,000 bribe during the investigation into the L$317 million drug seizure case.
While Coleman has portrayed Dean’s dismissal as evidence that the LNP will not tolerate corruption within its ranks, critics argue the scandal instead exposes deeper leadership failures and raises troubling questions about Coleman’s own judgment in reinstating and promoting officers now linked to major criminal investigations.
The controversy has sparked growing calls from political commentators, former public officials, and social media users for President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to remove Coleman and order an independent criminal investigation into the police leadership’s handling of recent narcotics cases.
According to Inspector General Coleman, Dean admitted accepting US$10,000 in connection with the ongoing drug investigation.
Coleman said no officer who compromises the integrity of the Liberia National Police would be protected.
“No officer found compromising the integrity of the Liberia National Police will be shielded,” Coleman stated, while urging officers to uphold professionalism and safeguard the institution’s integrity.
However, that announcement has done little to quiet demands for accountability at the highest levels of the police force.
Critics Say Coleman Must Also Be Held Accountable
Political commentator Matthew Nyanplu has called on President Boakai to immediately dismiss Coleman along with the LNP’s senior command.
Nyanplu argued that the police leadership possesses significant knowledge about Liberia’s recent narcotics operations and should themselves become the subject of a criminal investigation.
“Mr. Boakai must immediately terminate the Inspector-General of Police, Gregory Coleman, and the entire senior ranks of the Liberia National Police and subject them to a criminal investigation,” Nyanplu asserted.
His comments have fueled an already growing national debate over whether the latest arrests and dismissals are sufficient to restore public confidence in Liberia’s security institutions.
Moses Gray Revives Questions About Dean’s Past
Former Montserrado County Representative Moses Acarous Gray has also intensified calls for Coleman’s dismissal, citing Johnny Dean’s controversial history within the Liberia National Police.
Gray alleged that Dean was implicated during a 2015 armed robbery investigation involving businessman Sam Gibson.
According to Gray, suspects arrested in that case allegedly identified Dean as an active participant in the criminal operation, claiming that stolen property, including Gibson’s Rolex watch, and numerous SIM cards belonging to robbery victims were recovered from Dean or his vehicle.
Gray further alleged that although Dean was removed from the police, he later returned through Coleman’s influence after Coleman assumed leadership of the LNP.
Gray also claimed that when former Inspector General Patrick Sudue took office in 2018, Dean was barred from associating with the Liberia National Police, prompting Coleman to assist him in obtaining employment at the Liberia Airport Authority in Buchanan.
According to Gray, after Coleman returned as Inspector General under the Unity Party administration, Dean was again brought back into the police force and promoted to Deputy Commissioner for Crime Services.
Gray argued that these decisions demonstrate serious lapses in judgment and leadership.
He further alleged that Deputy Commissioner Olufemi Briggs, who reportedly is under investigation in another drug seizure case involving the National Security Agency (NSA), was similarly reinstated after previously leaving the force and has maintained a close professional relationship with Coleman.
Gray concluded that Coleman knowingly restored officers whose integrity had long been questioned and therefore should himself be dismissed for compromising the credibility of the Liberia National Police.
Official Records Show Dean Was Cleared in 2017
An official Liberia National Police statement issued on April 11, 2017 presents a more complex account of Dean’s disciplinary history.
The statement announced the dismissal and prosecution of three police officers and one police informer following a Ministry of Justice investigation into allegations of armed robbery and criminal conspiracy.
However, it also confirmed that Jonney (Johnny) Dean was among several officers cleared by the Ministry of Justice and formally reinstated after investigators did not recommend his dismissal.
The LNP stated that the investigation had been initiated in December 2015 under then Police Director Clarence Massaquoi, with the Ministry of Justice conducting the inquiry before submitting recommendations to then Inspector General Gregory Coleman for implementation.
According to information accompanying the current allegations, Dean did not serve under former Inspector General Patrick Sudue following his reinstatement in 2017 but later rejoined active police service under the current LNP leadership headed by Coleman.
Social Media Campaign Calls for Coleman to Step Aside
The latest revelations have also triggered an intense campaign across Facebook and other social media platforms, where numerous Liberians are calling on Coleman to immediately recuse himself from all investigations relating to Liberia’s recent cocaine seizures.
Some social media users have alleged that senior LNP officials are too conflicted to oversee investigations involving officers with whom they previously worked closely.
Others have gone further, calling for criminal investigations into what they describe as possible collusion or facilitation of narcotics trafficking within the police hierarchy.
These claims remain allegations circulating on social media and have not been independently verified by Smart News Liberia.
Integrity Questions Deepen
Dean’s dismissal has intensified scrutiny of Liberia’s fight against transnational drug trafficking, with many observers arguing that the scandal now extends beyond one officer and raises broader questions about leadership, oversight, recruitment decisions, and accountability within the Liberia National Police.
As public pressure continues to build, attention is increasingly shifting from the dismissal of Johnny Dean to whether President Boakai will respond to growing demands for an independent review of Inspector General Gregory Coleman’s leadership.
Inspector General Gregory Coleman has not publicly responded to the specific allegations calling for his dismissal beyond confirming Dean’s removal and reiterating that officers found compromising the integrity of the LNP will not be protected.
