Liberia: Opposition Rallies Around Ex-VP Taylor

What the report says

Opposition figures in Liberia have publicly backed former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor after she was questioned by the Liberia National Police in connection with a multimillion-dollar cocaine investigation, according to The New Dawn via AllAfrica. The episode unfolded in Monrovia on Wednesday, when Taylor was reportedly stopped from leaving the country for a planned trip to Accra, Ghana, and directed to report to Police Headquarters.

Taylor arrived with her lawyer, former Associate Justice Kabineh M. Ja'neh, and authorities initially identified her as a person of interest. Her appearance drew several Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) officials and lawmakers to Police Headquarters, including party chairman Janga Augustus Kowo and Representatives Marvin Cole, Eugene Kollie and Abu B. Kamara. The report says they were not allowed to meet with her.

The opposition response quickly turned into criticism of the government’s handling of the case. CDC leaders accused officials of using the drug probe to pressure political opponents, while Marvin Cole called for a broader and more transparent investigation that would include current government figures if evidence warrants it. Eugene Kollie described the matter as a political witch hunt, and Abu Kamara said he believed Taylor was innocent. The article notes that the government has said the investigation will proceed based on evidence, regardless of political status, and that Taylor is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.