NATIONAL NEWS
MARGIBI COUNTY – Liberia’s Ministry of Justice has clarified that the release of Michael U.S. Brown from pre-trial detention in 2024 was ordered by the court and was not authorized, approved or facilitated by the Ministry, dismissing claims linking his release to the ongoing investigation into the attempted exportation of approximately US$19 million worth of cocaine.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue –trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
In a statement issued to address what it described as widespread public misinformation, the Ministry said Brown was released solely on the authority of an order issued on September 20, 2024, by the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court for Margibi County, presided over by Judge T. Ciapha Carey.
According to the Ministry, the court granted Brown’s release on medical grounds after prison authorities informed the court that he required urgent medical treatment.
The order was made subject to the execution of a human surety bond by Ms. Toshey Garnett and Ms. Christine G. Checks, who assumed the legal responsibility of producing Brown whenever required by the court.
The Ministry emphasized that it neither authorized nor directed Brown’s release, insisting that the decision rested entirely with the judiciary.
The clarification comes amid public speculation attempting to associate Brown’s release with the government’s ongoing investigation into the attempted exportation of cocaine valued at approximately US$19 million.
Providing details of Brown’s earlier case, the Ministry said he and Raymond Kpehe were arrested on July 24, 2024, after allegedly attempting to clear two cartons labelled “Tea Leaves” at Roberts International Airport.
Brown, who served as an Information Technology Officer assigned at the airport, was identified by investigators as the importer and consignee of the shipment, while Kpehe, a clearing agent with UPS, allegedly facilitated its clearance.
Investigators later determined that the cartons contained cannabis, commonly known as Kush, with an estimated street value of approximately US$200,000.
Both men were subsequently investigated and charged with offences relating to the unlawful importation and transportation of controlled substances.
The Ministry said that after Brown’s detention, prison authorities notified the court that he required advanced medical care. Brown then petitioned the court for permission to seek treatment outside prison custody.
Although prosecutors opposed the request, Judge Carey granted the application and ordered Brown’s release under the specified conditions.
The Ministry stressed that Brown’s prosecution in 2024 arose from a separate criminal case involving the seizure of cannabis worth about US$200,000 and is entirely unrelated to the current investigation into the attempted exportation of cocaine valued at approximately US$19 million.
It described suggestions that Brown’s release was connected to the ongoing cocaine investigation as “false, misleading, and unsupported by the facts.”
Reaffirming its position, the Ministry of Justice said it remains committed to conducting all criminal investigations professionally, impartially and in strict accordance with the laws of Liberia.
