MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has renewed calls for Liberia’s Inspector General of Police to either step aside or be suspended from the ongoing investigation into the country’s major drug seizures, warning that the process risks losing public confidence if questions surrounding its handling are not addressed.
Kogar said the controversy surrounding Senator Amara Konneh’s interaction with the police has reinforced his earlier concerns about the credibility and independence of the investigation.
The Nimba senator argued that the investigation must remain focused on uncovering the people behind the alleged drug trafficking operation rather than becoming entangled in political disputes or conflicts between the police and politicians.
“I have already stated publicly that, 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 said.
His latest position comes amid growing scrutiny surrounding the questioning of Konneh, who has faced police attention in connection with issues arising from the broader narcotics investigation.
Kogar cautioned against interpreting Konneh’s questions about the individuals potentially behind the drug operation as proof that the senator possesses inside knowledge of the identities of those involved.
He said if Konneh has information that could assist investigators, the senator should cooperate with the appropriate authorities.
However, Kogar maintained that asking questions about a major drug operation should not automatically be treated as evidence that the person asking the questions knows who is responsible.
The senator said the investigation must be driven by evidence rather than assumptions, political affiliations or speculation.
He also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Fitzgerald Biago’s appointment to a leadership position at the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, asking who recommended him and what process was followed before he assumed the role.
Kogar stressed that he was not accusing Biago or anyone else of wrongdoing, but said the circumstances surrounding key appointments and decisions connected to the drug investigation deserve scrutiny.
The senator also raised questions about communications equipment, including a Starlink device reportedly brought into Liberia through Roberts International Airport.
He asked investigators to establish who brought the device into the country, who it was intended for, where it eventually went and who has been using it.
Kogar said documentary evidence, including airport, customs and other official records, should help establish the facts.
“If there are records that can answer these questions, then those records should speak for themselves,” he said.
The senator emphasized that his concerns should not be interpreted as conclusions against any individual.
Instead, he said the questions are intended to ensure that the investigation is sufficiently transparent and credible to withstand public scrutiny.
For Kogar, the central issue remains the identity and network of individuals responsible for bringing large quantities of narcotics into Liberia.
He said investigators must determine who imported the drugs, who facilitated their movement, who financed the operations and whether individuals occupying positions of authority participated in or enabled the alleged trafficking network.
Kogar also questioned whether the investigation would be allowed to pursue evidence wherever it leads, regardless of the political standing or institutional position of individuals who may come under scrutiny.
He warned against allowing the investigation to evolve into a political confrontation between Senator Konneh and the police, the government and opposition, or rival political parties.
“This should not become Senator Konneh against the Police, government against opposition, or one political party against another,” Kogar said.
He maintained that Liberia’s national interest requires investigators to concentrate on the drug trafficking allegations themselves.
With the country still facing questions surrounding major narcotics seizures and alleged links to individuals in positions of influence, Kogar said Liberians deserve a credible account of how the drugs entered the country and who helped facilitate the operation.
“The Liberian people deserve answers,” he said, insisting that investigators must be allowed to follow the evidence “without fear or favor.”
