MONROVIA – Bong County District #3 Representative Marvin Cole is calling on residents of Bong County to unite in support of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, urging citizens to seek what he described as a free and fair trial for the former Vice President, who is a native of the county.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh [email protected]
Madam Taylor is facing charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and several related offenses following an investigation by Liberia’s Joint Security agencies.
The charges include alleged unlicensed importation, sale, distribution and transportation of controlled substances, criminal conspiracy, facilitation and solicitation.
She was arrested on August 19, 2026, at Roberts International Airport while attempting to leave Liberia before being taken to the Liberia National Police headquarters for questioning.
On August 25, the Monrovia City Court ordered her remanded to Monrovia Central Prison after rejecting her lawyers’ request that she remain in a medical facility or be granted humanitarian accommodation instead of imprisonment.
Appearing on Sky FM’s 50-50 Talk Show on Tuesday, Representative Cole described Howard-Taylor’s imprisonment as an example of selective justice, arguing that she remains innocent until proven guilty.
“I want to tell the citizens of Bong County, our daughter Jewel as far I know as per the law, she is not guilty, she has not done any wrong, you should not be deterred, you should not cry, we should pray with her, we will stand up to this government to ask for free and fair trial of our former Vice President and our daughter,” Representative Cole said.
Cole also questioned why other individuals linked to drug-related investigations have not faced similar treatment, despite Madam Taylor’s swift prosecution.
“I’m not saying that Justice should be delayed or should not be served when it comes to Jewel, my position on this matter is, if you arrested Jewel and kept her at the Police Station, charged her in six days time, send her to the magisterial court and send her to prison, what happened to Johnny Dean, what happened to the LDEA former Officer-in-Charge that the President just released of his post, what happened to the GLS company to the Roberts International Airport, the company that the drug allegedly passed through,” Representative Cole said.
He continued: “All of them should be behind bars but the government is still doing business with that company. And so, if the government conducts itself like that then we will say the government is selective and they are not fighting drug.”
The lawmaker also raised concerns about the role of Sheikh Bashiru Kante, who is identified in the Liberia National Police charge sheet and the Monrovia City Court writ of arrest as an alleged intermediary between Howard-Taylor and individuals investigators say were members of an alleged transnational cocaine-trafficking network. Those allegations have not been proven in court.
Questioning Kante’s credibility as a potential witness, Representative Cole said: “You can’t have Sheikh passing all around going to night clubs drinking champagne and trying to blackmail other people by giving information. How authentic that the information Sheikh is providing can be proven in court?”
He further argued that prosecutors must prove Madam Taylor knowingly participated in any criminal conduct.
“If Jewel participated, he must prove that Jewel knowing participated. It means that Sheikh has to prove that people were discussing cocaine business in Dubai and Jewel knew that cocaine business they were discussing about and she participated, he got to prove that.”
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