Liberia: The Fastest Way to Lose This Cocaine Case

What the report says

Liberian Investigator published an editorial on Aug. 10, 2026, focused on the handling of a cocaine investigation in Liberia and the detention of Jackson K. Kolako at police headquarters in Monrovia. Kolako said he was held from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7 without giving a statement, and that on one of those days he was ordered to hand over two mobile phones and their passwords. The Ministry of Justice responded on Aug. 9, but the article says its statement did not explain why he was kept beyond the constitutional 48-hour limit, whether charges were filed, or what legal basis was used for taking the phones.

The editorial argues that the case could be jeopardized if authorities rely on evidence gathered outside proper procedures. It says defense lawyers would likely focus on detention beyond the limit, the absence of a charge on the record, and the lack of any warrant described for the phones. At the same time, the piece acknowledges that the ministry was careful on some points, including treating allegations as unproven and noting that a stand-down order is not the same as a finding of guilt.

The report also raises concerns about how investigators and prison officials allegedly entered Monrovia Central Prison to question Kolako. According to his account, men who identified themselves as NSA agents came in without following normal logging procedures, and the editorial says any such unrecorded access would create accountability problems inside a facility holding about 1,800 people. More broadly, the piece says Liberia should handle any drug-related case in a way that can withstand court scrutiny, rather than risk the case collapsing on procedural grounds.