By Allison Abe Sumo
Monrovia, Liberia — Pressure is mounting on Liberia National Police Inspector General Gregory O.W. Coleman to step aside from the country’s ongoing US$336 million narcotics investigation following fresh allegations by Liberian activist Martin K. N. Kollie concerning the procurement of several vehicles allegedly linked to the police chief.
Kollie, writing in a statement circulated Wednesday, August 19, 2026, alleged that three black sport utility vehicles valued at more than US$150,000 were acquired for the Liberia National Police but were not purchased through the government’s normal procurement and budgetary processes. He further alleged that the vehicles were purchased with cash gifts received by Inspector General Coleman. The activist has given the police chief 48 hours to respond to the allegations, while promising to release additional information and documents.
According to Kollie, the vehicles were purchased in Minnesota, United States, by Jose Quintin Russell, whom he described as an associate of Coleman who was subsequently brought to Liberia to work with the LNP’s fleet management unit. Kollie also alleged that Russell has an ownership interest in a private vehicle maintenance and dealership business in Congo Town that has allegedly performed maintenance work for LNP vehicles. These specific claims have not been independently verified by this publication.
The allegations come amid heightened scrutiny of Liberia’s security institutions following two major cocaine seizures in 2026. Authorities have valued the seizures at approximately US$19 million and US$317 million respectively, bringing their combined estimated value to US$336 million. The cases have triggered investigations and disciplinary measures involving personnel from the LNP, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, National Security Agency and Roberts International Airport.
The controversy intensified after LNP Commissioner Johnny Bolar Dean was dismissed and turned over for investigation over allegations that he accepted a US$10,000 bribe in connection with the handling of suspects in the major cocaine case. Reports have since raised broader questions about the extent of possible infiltration of Liberia’s security institutions by narcotics trafficking networks.
Kollie is also questioning Coleman’s leadership and command responsibility, arguing that several senior officers who worked within or around the police hierarchy have been dismissed, suspended or investigated in connection with the drug cases. He specifically cited the cases involving Bolar Dean and other security personnel as reasons why, in his view, Coleman should not continue participating in the investigation.
The activist further called for Coleman to be subjected to an independent investigation and to recuse himself from all proceedings relating to the US$336 million drug investigation. He argued that an independent review is necessary to determine whether the police leadership had any knowledge of, or connection to, activities allegedly linked to the trafficking network.
Public scrutiny of the police leadership has been growing since the cocaine investigations began. Earlier reporting documented questions surrounding the reinstatement and subsequent promotion of Johnny Bolar Dean, while other reports have noted that President Joseph Boakai’s administration has taken disciplinary action against several security and government officials as the investigation widened.
Kollie, however, goes beyond the established disciplinary cases, alleging that the cocaine network penetrated key parts of Liberia’s security sector and that senior officials should be held accountable if evidence establishes their involvement. He has promised to release additional documents and information concerning the alleged vehicle purchases and other relationships he says are connected to the investigation.
The allegations against Coleman and the individuals named in Kollie’s statement remain unproven unless established through official investigations, documentary evidence or judicial proceedings. As of the publication of this report, no independently verified evidence has been established publicly demonstrating that Coleman personally received illicit funds to purchase the vehicles described by Kollie.
The latest allegations are nevertheless likely to intensify calls for greater transparency in the investigation, particularly as the government continues its efforts to identify individuals who may have facilitated or benefited from the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine through Liberia.
For the Liberia National Police, the central question now extends beyond individual dismissals: whether the institution can maintain public confidence while investigating allegations involving its own senior personnel.
Coleman and the LNP have yet to publicly respond specifically to Kollie’s allegations concerning the three vehicles and the alleged cash gifts. A response from the police chief would be significant in establishing whether the vehicles were acquired through legitimate means, who financed their purchase, and whether any procurement or conflict-of-interest rules were involved.
