NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh has welcomed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s decision to dismiss and suspend government and security officials linked to recent large-scale narcotics cases, but says the action must be followed by a broader crackdown targeting the alleged masterminds behind the drug trade.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
In a statement issued Friday, Senator Konneh described the President’s decision as an important step toward restoring public confidence and strengthening integrity within Liberia’s security institutions.
“I welcome President Joseph Boakai’s action to dismiss and suspend security and port officials connected to the recent large-scale drug seizures. This step is crucial to rebuild trust and uphold integrity within our systems,” Konneh said.
However, the senator argued that removing low- and mid-level officials alone would not dismantle the transnational drug networks using Liberia as a transit hub for cocaine shipments destined for Europe.
According to him, the scale of the multi-million-dollar drug seizures suggests the existence of entrenched corruption and powerful criminal syndicates operating with protection at the highest levels.
“The scale of these multibillion-dollar drug shipments points to deeper, systemic corruption and powerful syndicates protected from the top down,” he asserted.
Konneh called on the Boakai administration to intensify investigations and pursue what he described as the “big players,” including alleged financiers, influential local collaborators, senior government officials accused of providing protection since January 2024, and former officials whom Police Inspector General Gregory O.W. Coleman has said are under investigation.
He stressed that justice must be applied impartially, warning that no individual should escape accountability because of political influence, current government position, or previous public office.
“We need full accountability, transparent prosecutions, and the arrest of the real masterminds behind these syndicates,” the senator stated.
Konneh further urged investigators to follow the evidence wherever it leads and ensure that those responsible for orchestrating the drug trafficking operations, including senior policymakers if implicated, are brought to justice.
Concluding his statement, the Gbarpolu lawmaker said the President’s latest actions were encouraging but insufficient on their own.
“More action is needed, and quickly, Mr. President!” he declared.
