NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia has formally charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor in connection with an ongoing investigation into an alleged transnational narcotics network operating in Liberia and beyond the country’s borders.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
The charges were announced Wednesday by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Cllr. Oswald Tweh, who read a formal statement on behalf of the Government of Liberia.
According to the government, Howard-Taylor was stopped from leaving Liberia at Roberts International Airport and was subsequently taken to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police.
The former vice president was reportedly preparing to travel to Ghana when she was stopped. She was later subjected to investigative procedures as authorities reviewed evidence presented by the Joint National Security Investigative Team.
Jewel Howard-Taylor Faces Multiple Drug-Related Charges
The government says Howard-Taylor has been charged under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act of 2023 with alleged unlicensed importation of a controlled drug or substance.
She is also accused of the alleged unlicensed sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, dispatch in transit and transportation of a controlled drug or substance.
Another charge brought against her is illicit trafficking of a controlled drug or substance.
The former vice president also faces charges under Chapter 10 of Liberia’s Penal Law for alleged criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation and criminal conspiracy.
In addition, the government has charged Howard-Taylor with alleged money laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Law.
The charges place the former vice president at the center of one of Liberia’s most significant ongoing investigations into alleged international narcotics trafficking.
Three Foreign Nationals Charged in Absentia
The Government of Liberia says three foreign nationals allegedly linked to the same transnational narcotics network have also been charged in absentia.
They are Nikolai Ivancic, a Croatian national; Mihovil Vrovac, another Croatian national; and Tara Zaderieko, a Ukrainian national.
The Ministry of Justice says it will pursue all lawful domestic and international measures necessary to locate and apprehend the three suspects and bring them before the courts of Liberia.
The government has not publicly disclosed further details about the specific allegations against the three foreign nationals, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Former NSA Official Called for Questioning
Meanwhile, former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency for Administration Gerald Smith has been called in for questioning in connection with the same investigation.
His questioning suggests that investigators are examining possible links between the alleged narcotics network and individuals with access to state institutions.
The government says the investigation will extend beyond alleged traffickers to anyone who may have knowingly facilitated, protected, financed or assisted the network.
Government Warns Political Connections Will Not Provide Protection
In a strong warning, the Government of Liberia says no individual will be protected because of political influence, public office, nationality or connections.
Justice Minister Oswald Tweh said the government will pursue the alleged network’s leadership, financiers, facilitators, transporters, operational coordinators, institutional protectors and anyone who knowingly assisted its activities.
The government declared that “no office is too high, no political connection is too powerful, no nationality provides immunity and no individual is beyond the reach of the law.”
It said the investigation represents a decisive stage in its effort to expose and dismantle the alleged narcotics network from its roots.
Government Promises ‘No Sacred Cows’
The government has also rejected any suggestion that individuals with political connections will receive preferential treatment.
According to the Justice Ministry, there will be “no selective justice, political protection, sacred cows or compromise with organized criminality.”
Authorities say every person against whom credible and admissible evidence is established will be investigated and prosecuted without fear, favor or political consideration.
The government says its goal is not simply to seize drugs or arrest low-level operatives, but to dismantle the entire alleged criminal infrastructure, including its leadership, financing, logistics, protection arrangements and international connections.
Investigators, the government says, will follow the evidence across institutions, political boundaries and national borders.
Liberia Warns Drug Traffickers Against Using the Country
The government described transnational narcotics trafficking as a direct threat to Liberia’s national security, public institutions, economy and young people.
It warned individuals and organizations seeking to corrupt public officials, penetrate state institutions or use Liberia as a transit corridor for illicit narcotics that they will face the full authority of the Liberian state.
The government said Liberia will not be surrendered to drug traffickers or individuals who enable their activities.
Government Stresses Howard-Taylor Has Not Been Convicted
Despite the seriousness of the charges, the Government of Liberia emphasized that the allegations against Howard-Taylor and the other defendants do not amount to convictions.
The Justice Ministry stressed that criminal charges are accusations and that all defendants remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The government also reaffirmed the defendants’ rights to legal representation, due process and all constitutional and statutory protections guaranteed under Liberian law.
Meanwhile, the government has urged members of the public, political actors and media institutions to avoid speculation, intimidation of witnesses and publication of unverified information that could interfere with the investigation or undermine the administration of justice.
The Justice Ministry said it will not release information that could compromise ongoing operations, endanger cooperating individuals or prejudice judicial proceedings.
Further information, the government said, will be released when it is legally and operationally appropriate.
Jewel Howard-Taylor’s Political Background
Howard-Taylor is a former vice president of Liberia who served under former President George Weah.
She previously represented Bong County in the Liberian Senate and served as First Lady during the presidency of her former husband, Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president and rebel leader who was convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for his role in crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s civil war.
Her formal charging now places one of Liberia’s most prominent former political figures at the center of a major narcotics investigation.
The government has maintained that the investigation will be driven by evidence rather than political affiliation, status or connections.
The latest development is expected to attract significant public and political attention as investigators continue efforts to uncover the alleged international narcotics network and determine the full extent of its operations and connections within Liberia.
