Liberia: Senate Judiciary Chair Urges Police Chief to Step Aside in Drug Probe

What the report says

Liberia’s Senate Judiciary Committee chair, Sen. Augustine S. Chea of Sinoe County, has called on the police inspector general and other senior security officials to step aside from a drug trafficking probe, arguing that agencies under scrutiny cannot credibly investigate themselves. The remarks were reported from Monrovia and published by The Liberian Investigator on 10 August 2026, then distributed by AllAfrica.

Chea’s statement followed the temporary recusal of Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency Officer-in-Charge Fitzgerald T.M. Biago, who stepped aside amid allegations tied to his reported receipt of a vehicle from people said to be linked to drug trafficking. Chea said that recusal is a safeguard for independence, not an admission of guilt, and he urged an impartial inquiry free from conflicts of interest.

The senator also criticized what he described as attempts to shift public attention toward opposition figures rather than address possible problems inside the security sector. He said investigators should follow evidence wherever it leads, preserve records, and avoid selective scrutiny. He added that no institution should be treated as beyond review.

The case matters because Liberia has faced continuing public concern about narcotics trafficking and the integrity of enforcement agencies. Chea framed the issue as one of credibility, accountability and public trust, saying an independent process could protect both innocent officials and the broader public interest.