-Warns Against “Protected Persons” in Anti-Drug Fight
Monrovia – The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) has welcomed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s directive to investigate allegations that LDEA Officer-in-Charge Fitzgerald T. M. Biago received a vehicle from a suspected narcotics trafficker—while cautioning that investigators must be given sufficient time and resources to follow the evidence wherever it leads, with no one shielded from accountability.
In a statement issued Saturday, WONGOSOL commended the President’s swift response to the emerging allegations and acknowledged Biago’s decision to recuse himself from active duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The allegations are serious and should concern every Liberian,” WONGOSOL said. “When allegations touch the leadership of the institution entrusted with combating illicit drugs, they raise significant questions about institutional integrity, national security and Liberia’s fight against transnational organized crime.”
While WONGOSOL welcomed the urgency demonstrated by President Boakai in requesting a report from Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh within 48 hours, the organization urged that this timeframe should not serve as an artificial deadline for concluding a comprehensive investigation.
“We believe this timeframe should facilitate preliminary findings, preservation of evidence and immediate recommendations rather than serve as an artificial deadline for concluding a comprehensive investigation,” the statement read.
WONGOSOL emphasized that if preliminary findings point to possible criminal conduct, institutional involvement or a wider network, investigators must be given sufficient time, resources and independence to follow the evidence wherever it leads.
No Protected Persons
The women’s rights organization declared that “there must be no protected persons” in the ongoing anti-drug campaign. “No one should be shielded from investigation or accountability because of position, political affiliation, wealth, influence or connection,” WONGOSOL stated. At the same time, the organization stressed that “due process and the presumption of innocence must be fully respected.”
WONGOSOL called on the Government to look beyond the immediate probe and urgently assess vulnerabilities within Liberia’s drug-control and national security systems, including land borders, airports, seaports and territorial waters, “to prevent criminal networks from exploiting institutional and security gaps.”
“The fight against drugs is not only a law-enforcement issue,” the organization said. “It is about protecting our young people, strengthening our institutions, safeguarding national security and preserving Liberia’s future.”
The Secretariat urged the Government to appropriately communicate the findings of the investigation to the Liberian people and ensure that any evidence requiring further investigation or prosecution is pursued “without fear or favor.”
The WONGOSOL statement comes as Liberia confronts a pivotal moment in its fight against narcotics trafficking. Over the past two months, authorities have seized cocaine shipments worth an estimated US$300 million—including nearly four metric tons in Duazon, one of the largest drug busts ever recorded in West Africa.
The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is a coalition of women’s organizations advocating for gender equality, good governance, and social justice in Liberia.
