MONROVIA, Liberia — Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Cllr. Augustine Chea has questioned the Liberia National Police’s decision to invite Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh for questioning, warning that the move could be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate a lawmaker who has publicly demanded greater accountability in Liberia’s ongoing cocaine investigations.
Chea’s intervention comes amid growing controversy over the government’s handling of two major cocaine seizures involving more than 4,200 kilograms of suspected cocaine with a combined estimated value of approximately US$336 million.
In a strongly worded statement, Chea questioned why Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman and the Unity Party-led government would target Senator Konneh when the lawmaker’s public comments have largely focused on identifying alleged high-level actors behind the drug trade and demanding greater transparency in the investigations.
Chea argued that the police cannot reasonably presume that Konneh personally knows the identities of alleged major drug cartel members simply because he has questioned why some lower-level suspects have been arrested while individuals believed to be higher up the chain of the alleged operation remain at large.
According to Chea, the allegations of high-level state involvement in the drug trade did not originate with Senator Konneh but with Inspector General Coleman himself.
He noted that Coleman publicly alleged that “key state-actors” were connected to the drug trade, arguing that the police chief therefore has a responsibility to substantiate those claims and pursue the individuals allegedly involved.
Chea also referenced Coleman’s separate allegation that money from a drug cartel had reached members of the media. He said Coleman has yet to provide the evidence requested by the Press Union of Liberia or announce arrests arising from that allegation.
“The IGP therefore bears responsibility for substantiating and pursuing the serious allegations he made,” Chea said.
He maintained that Senator Konneh’s demand for the identification of alleged “key state-actors” should not be interpreted as proof that the senator personally knows their identities or possesses evidence against them.
Instead, Chea said, Konneh’s comments can reasonably be understood as political criticism and a demand for accountability, particularly given the serious allegations previously made publicly by the police chief.
“It does not automatically become a criminal offense simply because the police disagree with it,” Chea maintained.
Constitutional Concerns
Chea further invoked Article 15(c) of the Liberian Constitution, which protects the public’s right to information concerning government and its functionaries.
He argued that the constitutional guarantee makes it essential for public officials and law-enforcement institutions to distinguish between legitimate criticism and conduct that constitutes an actual criminal offense.
According to Chea, questioning the conduct of government institutions and demanding answers on matters of national concern should not, without more, trigger the use of police powers against elected officials.
He also questioned whether Coleman himself should face scrutiny over the allegations he has publicly made.
“It is the IGP who should be under investigation,” Chea said, arguing that Coleman should not be beyond scrutiny while a legislator who questions the police investigation is being summoned to identify alleged cartel members.
Warning Against Retaliatory Justice
The Senate Judiciary Committee chair warned that if the police cannot identify an independent criminal offense committed by Senator Konneh, using law-enforcement powers against him because of his criticism could amount to what he described as “retaliatory justice.”
Chea described retaliatory justice as the use of law-enforcement machinery to intimidate or silence critics rather than to pursue genuine criminal accountability.
He warned that such an approach could raise serious constitutional concerns, particularly if legitimate criticism and legislative oversight are treated as criminal conduct simply because they are uncomfortable for those in authority.
The controversy follows the seizure of approximately 237 kilograms of cocaine at Roberts International Airport and the subsequent discovery of about 3,971 kilograms of suspected cocaine in Duazon, Margibi County.
The cases have generated widespread public debate over the identities of individuals allegedly behind the shipments, the possible involvement of security personnel, the chain of custody of the seized substances and the independence of the investigations.
Chea’s comments have therefore shifted attention beyond Senator Konneh’s police invitation to a broader question of accountability: whether the serious allegations made by the police leadership are being investigated with the same urgency being applied to those publicly demanding answers.
As the debate intensifies, Chea maintained that elected officials and members of the public must be able to question government institutions without fear that legitimate criticism will be turned into a criminal matter.
“Strange things are happening again!” Chea concluded.
