CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on National Security to gather from the Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Justice the facts and circumstances surrounding the US$100 million drug bust case in Liberia.
By: Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
In October last year, the joint security apparatus of Liberia in collaboration with its United States’ counterpart arrested US$520 kilograms of raw cocaine valued at US$100 million, the largest drug bust in Liberia up to date. The drug was smuggled in a container owned by AJA Group Holdings, the largest importer of frozen goods in Liberia.
Four people including a Liberian named Oliver Zayzay and three foreigners, Makki Ahmed Issam, Adulai Djalo and Malam Conte were arrested for allegedly attempting to purchase the cocaine, which the government claimed had been smuggled among pig feet from Brazil.
They were charged for money laundering, unlicensed possession of controlled drugs, unlicensed importation of controlled drugs, and criminal conspiracy and sent to court.
Following a two-month trial at Criminal Court “C”, the jurors handed down a unanimous non-guilty verdict in favor of the four defendants, prompting national and international outcry.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean called the jurors’ verdict a travesty of Justice, and in an unprecedented move, petitioned the Supreme Court to suspend the Lower Court’s verdict, but was denied.
However, the Plenary of the House of Representatives, in its Thursday’s sitting, authorized its Committee on National Security to extract more information from the Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Justice concerning the drug case and to find out whether the government is instituting any alternative measure that could lead to finding the actual perpetrators.
The plenary’s decision to mandate its Committee on National Security to establish the alternative measures being pursued into finding the actual perpetrators signifies that the august body is not satisfied with the juror’s verdict, which has been seen by many as a missed opportunity in Liberia’s fight against illicit drugs which is fast destroying a large portion of the youthful population.
Senate is also probing
The House’s decision comes as the Senate Committees on National Security and Judiciary are reviewing a request from Senator Abraham Darius Dillon to invite the Minister of Justice, Director of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency and the Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority to give deeper insight into the entire drug saga.
Senator Dillon, in his communication, described the jurors’ verdict as criminal and undermining, and craves the Senate’s indulgence to summon the named officials to state what went wrong.
Senator Dillon said the unexpected verdict of the court undermines the fight against illicit drugs and its damaging effects on the youthful population of Liberia.
The Montserrado County lawmaker furthered that the country’s international partners and the world are watching with dismay, saying, like many of his legislative colleagues, he is deeply concerned about the entire conduct of the trial and as such, the Liberian Senate needs to find out what transpired.
As Dillon stated, outgoing United States Ambassador Michael McCarthy, also weighing in on the issue, said he was saddened to see the acquittal of suspects in both a recent human trafficking case and in the US$100 million cocaine trafficking case.
In his monthly press roundtable last week, Amb. McCarthy said: “While I hesitate to second-guess any jury and I fully admit that I am not privy to all the details of the prosecutions or their defenses, I hope this does not send a signal of weakness in enforcement to international criminal cartels.
“From an outsider’s perspective it is alarming that convictions could not be obtained in Liberia, even when the evidence seemed so overwhelming. I am also worried about what these developments portend for Liberia’s justice sector, which the United States Government has supported with many millions of dollars over the years in capacity development.”
Can the Legislature’s Inquests yield any result?
Meanwhile, the Legislature’s inquest comes as the Ministry of Justice lost its appeal to have the Lower Court’s verdict rescinded. The Ministry had petitioned the Supreme Court to stop Criminal Court ‘C’ from handing over the US$113,000 the government said it confiscated from the suspects.
But the Supreme Court said the request has no legal grounds as pursuing the case would result to double jeopardy.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, some legal pundits believe that these legislative investigations cannot affect the ruling. Still others believe that the Legislature, with its oversight responsibility, can launch its separate investigation and recommend the Ministry of Justice to reopen the case.