Liberia: Boakai Purges Senior Security Officials Across Multiple Agencies

What the report says

AllAfrica, republishing a report by The Liberian Investigator, reported that Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has dismissed or suspended senior personnel across several security and government bodies following two major cocaine seizures. The affected institutions include Roberts International Airport, the Liberia National Police, the National Security Agency, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. The Executive Mansion announced the action on Thursday, according to the report.

The removals include Mark Egon Kuiah, deputy director for operations at Roberts International Airport; Johnny Bolar Dean, a senior police commissioner responsible for criminal investigation, intelligence and Interpol; and Patrick Doe, deputy director for administration at the NSA. The report said Dean had previously been removed after acknowledging he accepted US$10,000 to provide comfort to two suspects in the airport case. Patrick Komasu, an NSA agent assigned to the LDEA, was recalled, suspended without pay and placed under investigation.

Other named officials include airport security director Mohammed O. Gbowrah, LDEA deputy commander Moses Jallah, police officers Anthony T. Blaye and Wadell W. Kwarbo, three NSA agents and Caycee Nelson, procurement director at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Several were ordered turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.

According to the report, the announcement followed the public destruction of cocaine from both cases. The government valued the Duazon haul at US$317 million and the June 8 airport seizure at US$19 million, saying the two seizures totaled 4,169 plates. The case matters because it has triggered a broad integrity and accountability test for Liberia’s security agencies and public service.