Monrovia – The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has suspended its Chief of Operations, Major Abraham O. Payne (U-704), following the emergence of a controversial audio recording in which he allegedly instructed the unconditional release of his daughter, who was reportedly arrested in a ghetto for drug-related activities.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
The recording, which has since circulated widely, reportedly captures heated exchanges between Maj. Payne and a junior LDEA agent. In the audio, Payne is heard angrily ordering officers in Careysburg to release his daughter, claiming she had been assaulted by officers.
“Do not cut that phone off, go there now. If you try it, you will not wear that uniform. Your commander called you; I called you—then you beat on my daughter? … Release her to her sister, let her bring her home to me,” Payne allegedly demanded.
Maj. Payne reportedly dismissed accusations that his daughter was involved in drugs, instructing officers to arrest only the man allegedly caught with drugs. “The man who you arrested with the drugs, hold him and release my daughter,” he said in a stern tone.
However, an officer present during the raid offered a conflicting account, asserting that Payne’s daughter was found in a house with men allegedly involved in drug activities and was “butt-naked” during the raid. “Chief, nobody beat on her. She was in the house with these men, they were cutting. The guy that had the drugs fought the officers and escaped with our Mark Bravo. Someone has to come and guarantee her,” the officer stated in the audio.
The daughter herself reportedly intervened during the call, claiming she was assaulted by a woman present at the scene. “Yes, Daddy … they beat me with rattan. One woman beat me, I don’t know her name,” she said.
Following the audio’s emergence, LDEA Director General Hon. Anthony K. Souh announced the immediate suspension of Maj. Payne and referred him to the Board of Internal Inquiry and Professional Standards (BIIPS) for a full investigation.
“The LDEA frowns upon such alleged actions which, if proven, undermine the integrity of the Agency and compromise the fight against illicit drugs. As such, Mr. Payne has been immediately suspended and referred to BIIPS for a thorough investigation. The outcome will be communicated to the public in due time,” the agency stated.
“The LDEA reiterates its zero-tolerance policy on unprofessional and unethical conduct and assures the public that no officer, regardless of position or rank, is exempt when caught in unprofessional conduct,” the statement added.
This development follows recent remarks by Deputy Director General for Administration, Gwee Forkpa, who criticized the agency’s current system for fighting drug trafficking, alleging complicity by some members of all three branches of government in drug distribution. Forkpa, who also served under former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, made the comments during a press briefing at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT).
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