Liberia: Liberia Police - Charges Loom in U.S.$19.2m Ria Cocaine Case

CAPITOL HILL — Several people tied to Liberia's largest recent cocaine seizure could be charged within days, the Inspector General of Police told senators Wednesday, disclosing that investigators have elevated individuals first named as persons of interest to potential suspects in the case involving more than 19.2 million U.S. dollars worth of cocaine intercepted at Roberts International Airport.

The disclosure is the strongest signal yet that investigators are closing in on those allegedly linked to the seizure, after weeks of public pressure for transparency and accountability.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on National Defense, Security, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, Inspector General Gregory O. W. Coleman said the Joint National Security Investigative Task Force had made significant progress since President Joseph Nyuma Boakai created the body to investigate the June 8 interception of about 237.6 kilograms of cocaine at the country's main airport.

Coleman said the individuals now considered potential suspects are the same people previously named as persons of interest by Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh during an emergency press conference in Monrovia.

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"At this point, the only thing I can say is that we've made significant progress," Coleman told lawmakers. "We are at the stage where we've moved people from just being persons of interest to potential suspects who could be charged within a few days."

The police chief cautioned against releasing sensitive details, saying the investigation relies heavily on classified intelligence and forensic evidence shared by international partners. Premature disclosure, he warned, could jeopardize the probe and damage cooperation with foreign law enforcement.

"We're working with international partners who are entrusting us with intelligence, pieces of intelligence that we're following," Coleman said. "If we come here and start to speak about everything that we're still working on together that's still not declassified, it compromises everything."

He described the case as one of national importance, saying coordination across jurisdictions and time zones had added complexity and that certain intelligence could not be made public until formally declassified. "The chips will definitely fall away because this investigation, I mean, it's one that borders on the future of this country," he said, inviting senators to raise specific questions the Task Force could address.

Coleman appeared alongside representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Liberia Immigration Service, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the Armed Forces of Liberia and other members of the Task Force to brief senators amid growing public concern. Their appearance followed a Senate directive requiring the Joint Security to provide a comprehensive update on the case.

Last month, Tweh publicly identified 10 individuals as persons of interest after investigators reviewed witness statements, cargo documentation, operational records and preliminary findings. The government stressed at the time that the designation was not a finding of guilt. "The Government of Liberia wishes to make it unequivocally clear that the designation of an individual as a Person of Interest does not constitute a determination of guilt," Tweh said during the June 19 press conference. "Rather, it signifies that investigators have identified information and evidence requiring further examination."

Those named as persons of interest currently in Liberia include Philip Yeoh, security manager at GLS Menzies; Festus S. Musa, a cargo handler at GLS Menzies; Ruth Gbapaywhea, an RIA scanner agent; Archie Nyanfor, a cargo handler at Express Handling Services; Arthur B. Abdullai, chief executive officer of Express Handling Services; Geraldine Zeon, an RIA scanner agent; and Mohammed Gbowrah, security director at Roberts International Airport. The three previously declared at large are Paul J. King, chief executive officer of GLS Menzies; Oscar Browne, chief of intelligence for RIA Security; and Emmanuel T. Zeon, a transporter for Express Handling Services.

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Authorities have not disclosed the alleged importers or masterminds behind the shipment, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing probe. Coleman's account that several individuals have moved from persons of interest to potential suspects is expected to heighten public anticipation as Liberians await the filing of charges and the prosecution of those ultimately found responsible.