NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – President Joseph Boakai has publicly thrown his support behind Liberia’s Inspector General of Police, Gregory Coleman, amid growing calls from sections of the public for the police chief to resign or be dismissed over the country’s recent major drug seizures.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
The calls followed two significant drug-related incidents: the reported US$19 million drug bust at Roberts International Airport (RIA) and the subsequent seizure of cocaine reportedly valued at more than US$300 million along the RIA highway.
The scale of the seizures has intensified public scrutiny of Liberia’s security institutions, with questions being raised about how an alleged international drug network was able to operate in the country for what authorities have described as a prolonged period.
Some critics have accused Inspector General Coleman of receiving gifts or bribes from individuals allegedly connected to the drug network. Others have questioned his reported relationships with senior security officials who have since been dismissed, suspended or placed under investigation over alleged links to the facilitation of drug-related activities.
However, the allegations against IG Coleman have not been established in court, and there is no confirmed evidence presented publicly proving that he received bribes or knowingly facilitated the activities of the alleged drug network.
Despite the growing calls for his removal, President Boakai on Thursday publicly defended Coleman and praised him and other members of the security apparatus for their efforts in uncovering the drug trafficking activities.
Speaking during the relaunch of his book in Monrovia, President Boakai said he continued to have confidence in the police chief and his team.
“I want to say for those people who do not believe, I can tell you we have the best of brains here, people who care about this country,” President Boakai said.
He expressed gratitude to Liberia’s security institutions for what he described as their tireless efforts to uncover the truth surrounding the drug investigations.
“I want to thank our securities who have been working tirelessly to show us the truth. I want to thank Gregory Coleman and his team. I still believe in them and I believe in what they are doing,” he said.
The President also rejected suggestions that Liberia would be allowed to become a hub for narcotics trafficking, insisting that his administration would pursue the matter until the full truth is established.
“I do not care what you do, what you say, our country is not to be used as a narcotic state. We will not end until the truth is known and the people of this country will know the true friends of this country,” President Boakai declared.
He further reaffirmed his administration’s backing for the Inspector General and the security team as investigations into the drug cases continue.
“Thank you IG Coleman Gregory Coleman, thanks to all of your team. We stand behind you and we will support you all the way,” the President said.
The President’s comments come at a time of heightened public interest in Liberia’s fight against drug trafficking, particularly following the discovery of large quantities of cocaine connected to the RIA corridor.
The two seizures have raised broader questions about the country’s security systems, including how such large shipments could enter or move through Liberia without detection and whether individuals within state institutions may have assisted or facilitated the operations.
Authorities have already taken action against some security officials in connection with the wider investigations, although the full extent of their alleged involvement remains subject to ongoing investigations and, where applicable, judicial proceedings.
For President Boakai, however, the recent seizures demonstrate that Liberia’s security institutions are making progress in exposing the alleged drug network rather than failing to confront it.
His decision to publicly back IG Coleman signals that, at least for now, there is no indication that the President intends to remove the police chief over the allegations and criticism surrounding the drug investigations.
The controversy is nevertheless likely to continue, as public pressure grows for greater transparency over the cocaine seizures, the identities of those behind the alleged trafficking network and the possible involvement of state officials.
The central question now facing the authorities is not only who imported or facilitated the movement of the drugs, but also whether anyone within Liberia’s security and political structures knowingly enabled the alleged operation.
As investigations continue, President Boakai has it made clear that his administration intends to pursue the matter until the truth is established, while maintaining confidence in Inspector General Gregory Coleman and the country’s security leadership.
