NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe has called for fairness and due process for Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti amid growing controversy surrounding her name in Liberia’s ongoing investigation into illicit drug trafficking.
By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Senator Snowe, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Chair of the ECOWAS Parliament Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and the African Peer Review Mechanism, said Liberia’s drug crisis should be treated as a national emergency rather than a tool for political attacks.
In a strongly worded statement, Senator Snowe challenged anyone with evidence linking Minister Nyanti to the illicit drug trade to present it publicly and allow the appropriate institutions to investigate.
“If you have evidence against Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, produce it,” Snowe declared, warning against what he described as political propaganda, selective leaks and insinuations designed to damage the reputation of individuals.
The senator said every person involved in the importation, trafficking, financing, facilitation or protection of the illegal drug trade must face the full weight of the law, regardless of political affiliation, social standing, government position or connections.
However, he cautioned that the fight against drugs must not become an excuse for settling political scores or targeting political opponents.
“An allegation is not evidence. An insinuation is not an indictment. And political propaganda is certainly not justice,” Snowe said.
The Bomi County senator said he has interacted with Minister Nyanti through his responsibilities on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Liberia’s regional and international engagements, particularly within the ECOWAS framework.
According to Snowe, his interactions with Nyanti have shown him a government official who commands respect among her peers and has demonstrated professionalism and commitment to advancing Liberia’s interests internationally.
He stressed, however, that Nyanti’s record should neither place her above investigation nor make her an easy target for political convenience.
Snowe said that if credible evidence exists against the Foreign Minister, the appropriate institutions should conduct an independent and transparent investigation and allow due process to take its course.
But if no evidence exists, he called for an immediate end to attempts to associate her with criminal activity.
The senator warned that Liberia risks establishing a dangerous political culture where a person’s reputation can be destroyed simply by repeating allegations loudly and frequently.
“Today it is Sara Beysolow Nyanti. Tomorrow it could be me, it could be any senator or representative,” he said, adding that the same could happen to government officials, opposition leaders, businesspeople, journalists, civil society actors or ordinary citizens.
Snowe also urged authorities to focus on the broader questions surrounding Liberia’s growing drug crisis.
He called for investigations to determine who is behind the country’s drug networks, who finances and facilitates their operations, who provides protection, whether there have been failures within Liberia’s security architecture and who ultimately benefits from the illicit trade.
“Follow the drugs. Follow the money. Follow the evidence,” Snowe urged.
He emphasized that his defense of Nyanti’s right to fairness should not be interpreted as an attempt to shield her or anyone else from investigation.
Instead, he said he supports a credible, comprehensive, independent and impartial investigation capable of following evidence wherever it leads.
“If the evidence leads to a government official, investigate that official. If it leads to an opposition figure, investigate that person,” Snowe said, adding that powerful business interests, security personnel and politically connected individuals should also face investigation if implicated.
He further argued that if an investigation establishes that the evidence does not lead anywhere near Minister Nyanti, those who associated her name with criminality should have the courage to publicly acknowledge that.
Snowe called for “no sacred cows, no political protection, no selective justice, and no scapegoats” in Liberia’s fight against illicit drugs.
He said the country cannot defeat the drug epidemic through press conferences, political propaganda, selective leaks or attacks on people’s reputations.
According to the senator, the crisis requires leadership, transparency, strong institutions and, above all, truth.
“Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti deserves fairness, due process, and the presumption of innocence not because she is Foreign Minister, but because these are fundamental protections that every Liberian and, yes, every human deserves,” Snowe said.
He also reminded lawmakers of their responsibility to demand accountability from the Executive Branch while simultaneously defending justice and ensuring that the fight against drugs does not become a weapon for political persecution or character assassination.
Snowe concluded by calling for authorities to focus on dismantling drug networks, exposing those behind them, tracing the money and protecting Liberia’s young people.
“Fight the drug dealers. Expose their networks. Follow the money. Follow the evidence. Protect our young people. Protect Liberia,” he said.
He added: “But do not destroy innocent people for political convenience. Liberia deserves the truth and nothing less.”
Snowe ended his statement with a direct declaration of support for Nyanti, saying: “Until you produce the evidence against Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, I stand with her.”
