MONROVIA – Liberia’s escalating drug-trafficking controversy has deepened, with Sinoe County Senator Cllr. Augustine Chea calling on potentially conflicted security officials to voluntarily step aside and allow an independent and impartial investigation into allegations surrounding the country’s anti-drug campaign.
Chea’s demand follows President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s decision to order a 48-hour investigation into allegations involving Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Officer-in-Charge Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitzgerald T. M. Biago, who has temporarily recused himself from his functions amid allegations involving a Toyota pickup vehicle allegedly connected to a narcotics suspect or trafficker.
President Boakai on Saturday directed Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh to immediately conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the allegations and all related circumstances.
The Justice Minister has been given 48 hours to submit a detailed report to the President.
But Senator Chea argues that the presidential directive, while necessary, does not fully resolve the deeper concerns surrounding the independence and credibility of the investigation.
He rejected suggestions that calls for an impartial investigation are partisan or driven by opposition politics, describing them instead as “patriotic calls for truth, accountability, and transparency.”
Chea said the central issue is whether Liberians can have confidence in the institutions and officials responsible for investigating the allegations.
“The uncomfortable truth is that the credibility of the entire security apparatus is in question,” Chea warned, arguing that an investigation cannot command public confidence if individuals potentially connected to the circumstances under investigation remain in positions where their continued presence could compromise or undermine the process.
The Senator specifically questioned why Biago has stepped aside while other senior security officials whose institutions or offices may have direct or indirect connections to the matter remain in their positions.
Chea pointed to the Police Inspector General and other officials, asking why they should wait until evidence reaches their own offices before considering recusal.
According to the Senator, where legitimate concerns exist about conflicts of interest or the credibility of an investigation, the responsible course is for officials to voluntarily step aside and allow an independent process to proceed.
His comments add pressure to the Boakai administration, which has repeatedly pledged to combat illegal drugs, organized crime and corruption while insisting that no individual or institution is above the law.
In announcing the investigation, President Boakai said the process must be thorough, objective and guided solely by the facts.
The President also said he would carefully review the Justice Ministry’s report before determining the appropriate course of action in the interest of justice, accountability and the Liberian people.
However, Chea contends that official assurances alone may not be enough to restore public confidence.
He accused some actors of attempting to divert public attention toward opposition figures and identify convenient scapegoats rather than addressing potential conflicts within the security establishment.
“Clean your own house first before pointing fingers at others,” Chea declared.
The Senator also raised questions about individuals allegedly identified by a drug-trafficking network as having ties to, or serving as facilitators for, the network in Liberia.
He questioned whether those individuals have been treated as persons of interest or suspects in the ongoing investigation.
Chea, however, emphasized that being investigated does not amount to being guilty.
He maintained that the presumption of innocence must remain protected while investigators follow credible evidence wherever it leads.
“What we cannot accept is selective scrutiny,” he said, warning against situations in which some individuals are aggressively pursued while others are shielded because of their influence, official position or proximity to political power.
“There must be no sacred cows,” Chea added, calling for the preservation of evidence, removal of conflicts of interest and scrutiny of all relevant institutions.
The Senator’s remarks come amid heightened public concern over Liberia’s drug crisis following a series of major cocaine seizures and allegations involving individuals connected to the country’s security structures.
The controversy surrounding Biago has therefore developed beyond an individual allegation and into a broader test of the credibility of Liberia’s anti-drug and security institutions.
Biago has categorically denied receiving any gift, benefit or inducement from a drug trafficker or anyone acting on behalf of a drug-trafficking organization.
His decision to temporarily recuse himself was presented as an effort to preserve the integrity of the investigation and protect public confidence in the LDEA.
President Boakai has similarly emphasized that the investigation will be impartial and fact-driven.
But Chea is demanding additional safeguards, arguing that all potential conflicts of interest must be removed and every credible lead pursued without political protection or selective enforcement.
For the Boakai administration, the controversy presents a significant accountability test.
While the 48-hour deadline may demonstrate an immediate response to the allegations, questions about the independence of the process could persist if officials potentially connected to the matter remain in positions that could influence or affect the investigation.
The controversy also raises a broader institutional question for Liberia: Can a security system credibly investigate allegations that potentially involve its own senior personnel without stronger safeguards against conflicts of interest?
Chea believes the investigation must ultimately be judged by its ability to establish the truth rather than protect or punish particular individuals.
“If officials are innocent, they will be vindicated. If wrongdoing exists, it must be exposed,” he said.
He concluded with a direct appeal for officials facing potential conflicts to voluntarily step aside, invoking the phrase associated with Liberia’s turbulent political history in 1985: “Move or be removed.”
