MONROVIA — Former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has been taken into custody as a person of interest in connection with Liberia’s US$19 million cocaine investigation, Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah has confirmed.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh
Minister Piah disclosed the development Wednesday on State Radio, saying the former vice president was picked up while preparing to board an ASKY Airlines flight.
Taylor, however, has offered a different account of the incident, saying she was scheduled to travel to Accra, Ghana, to attend a women’s forum when she was informed that she had been barred from leaving the country.
Sources close to Taylor said she was asked to report to the Police Station.
Her reported detention marks a major development in an investigation that has continued to draw national attention following the seizure of a cocaine shipment valued at approximately US$19 million.
Authorities have been investigating the origin and movement of the shipment, as well as individuals suspected of having links to the consignment.
Taylor has been identified by investigators as a person of interest. No criminal charges have been announced against her, and her status in the investigation could change as authorities continue their inquiries.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of the government’s handling of Liberia’s major drug cases and growing demands for transparency over the identities and roles of individuals allegedly connected to the cocaine trade.
This is a developing story. FrontPage Africa will provide updates as more information becomes available.
