Two Liberian senators have called for an independent investigation into the recent seizure of 237.6 kilograms of cocaine at Roberts International Airport, raising serious questions about how suspects were able to evade arrest in a case involving drugs valued at approximately US$19.2 million.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, Senators Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr., and Amara M. Konneh commended the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), the Liberia National Police (LNP), and joint security agencies for intercepting the shipment but demanded answers regarding the investigation’s handling.
While five individuals have been charged in connection with the trafficking case—Michael U.S. Browne, also known as Rahim or Raheem Bah; Paul J. King; Oscar Browne; Emmanuel Kpah; and Usman Ali—the senators expressed concern that authorities have not been able to physically arrest any of the suspects before they could leave the country.
Also read:Â Parliament suspends Friday sitting as Bagbin leads support for national flood cleanup exercise
“According to information released by the authorities, two persons of interest, Oscar Browne and Paul J. King, were outside Liberia when the investigation commenced and were subsequently declared suspects,” the statement read. “At the same time, it has been alleged that Michael U.S. Browne and Emmanuel Kpah were present in Liberia during the early stages of the investigation.”
The senators questioned why authorities initially refused to name “persons of interest,” citing concerns about compromising the investigation, only to later reveal that some suspects had been in the country during that period.
“Simply put, drugs worth approximately US$19.2 million reportedly entered Liberia and were on the verge of being exported through the country’s only international airport,” the statement noted. “Yet, despite the magnitude of this case, no persons of interest that the authorities knew but could not name and, of course, no suspect appears to have been physically arrested by national security agencies.”
According to official statements, the only individual currently in custody is a suspect who voluntarily returned to Liberia and surrendered to authorities upon arrival at Roberts International Airport.
“Are we truly serious about enforcing the law and expecting the international community to take Liberia seriously in the fight against organized crime?” the senators asked.
Call for Comprehensive Investigation
Beyond the immediate arrests, Snowe and Konneh are demanding a thorough investigation into the entire criminal network behind the drug operation, asking critical questions about:
· Who financed the importation of the drugs
· How the cocaine entered Liberia—by air, sea, or land
· Where it was stored and repackaged before reaching the airport
· Who coordinated the logistics of the operation
· Which financial institutions may have been used to launder proceeds
· Additional local and international collaborators
· Whether any public officials or state security personnel were involved
The senators also specifically questioned how the investigation exonerated Emmanuel Zeon, the drugs transporter, and Ruth Gbapaywhea, a screener at RIA who allowed a suspicious package to pass security clearance.
“Drug trafficking poses a direct threat to our youth, our families, our institutions, and our national security,” the statement emphasized. “Given the scale of this seizure and its apparent international dimensions, this matter demands a comprehensive, impartial, and evidence-based investigation that follows every lead, regardless of where it may lead.”
The senators are calling for an independent investigation conducted with the full cooperation and technical support of Liberia’s international partners to ensure that every individual responsible—from financiers and importers to traffickers, facilitators, and any public officials who may have aided this criminal enterprise—is identified, investigated, and prosecuted.
“The Liberian people deserve nothing less than the full truth, complete accountability, and justice,” the statement concluded. “We demand an answer!”
By Kwaku Sakyi-Danso