The Government of Liberia is right to pursue the people behind the massive cocaine shipments recently seized in the country.
The reported seizure of approximately 237 kilograms of cocaine at Roberts International Airport and nearly 3,971 kilograms in Duazon, Margibi County, should concern every Liberian.
The combined value of the shipments, estimated at about US$336 million, raises serious questions about how such a large quantity of narcotics could move through Liberia.
This is why the government’s decision to investigate the wider network behind the shipments deserves public support.
The investigation must go beyond arresting couriers or identifying individuals directly connected to the physical movement of drugs. Liberia needs to know who financed the operation, who organized it, who provided transportation, who protected it and who may have used public institutions to facilitate it.
The charging of former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor represents a major development. But her former position should neither protect her from investigation nor be treated as evidence of guilt.
The same standard must apply to every person who becomes connected to the investigation.
The reported questioning of former NSA official Gerald Smith should also be handled carefully. Being questioned does not mean that someone is guilty.
The government must build its cases on evidence that can stand in court.
The reported assistance of US law enforcement agencies could strengthen the investigation, particularly because the government describes the alleged operation as transnational. International cooperation may help investigators trace money, communications, foreign connections and other evidence that could be difficult to establish through domestic investigation alone.
But Liberia must remain responsible for ensuring that its own justice system properly handles the cases.
The government should also resist political pressure to rush the investigation.
Organized crime investigations can take time. Investigators need to establish facts, preserve evidence, protect witnesses and follow legal procedures.
Liberians should therefore support the investigation while demanding transparency and fairness.
The country has an opportunity to demonstrate that even powerful individuals can be investigated when credible evidence points to wrongdoing.
But that opportunity will be lost if the investigation becomes political.
The government should follow the evidence wherever it leads, regardless of political party, former office, nationality or wealth.
That is the only way this investigation can restore public confidence and produce lasting results.
