REP. BRIGGS-MENSAH SLAMS LDEA OVER SILENCE ON $19M RIA DRUG BUST, PUSHES FOR SUMMONS
BY: Nathaniel Emmanuel Davis
MONROVIA – Bong County District #6 Representative Moima Briggs-Mensah has accused the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency of lacking transparency over last month’s US$19 million cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport, warning that delays in disclosing details risk undermining public confidence in the government’s anti-narcotics fight.
Speaking during Thursday’s House of Representatives session, Briggs-Mensah described the LDEA’s handling of the case as “deceptive” for withholding the identities of suspects linked to Liberia’s largest drug bust.
She urged colleagues to summon LDEA officials and other state security actors to appear before Plenary for questioning.
“Liberians deserve timely information on a case of such magnitude,” Briggs-Mensah argued.
“The delay in disclosure risks eroding public trust in our fight against narcotics trafficking.”
Her comments came as pressure mounts on authorities to provide accountability following the record seizure, which has drawn intense domestic and international scrutiny over Liberia’s role as a potential transit point for illicit drugs.
LDEA Officer-in-Charge Fitzgerald Biago, addressing a Ministry of Information press briefing Thursday, appealed for public patience.
He said the case involves transnational crime and requires extensive investigation with international partners before names can be released.
Biago confirmed that six individuals are currently in custody as “persons of interest.”
However, he declined to release their identities, citing security concerns and the need to protect the integrity of the investigation.
“This is not a regular criminal investigation,” Biago stated. “Give us time as we put our pieces of evidence together.”
The $19 million cocaine bust at RIA last month is among the largest in Liberia’s history.
With no suspects formally named or charged since the announcement, lawmakers and civil society groups have intensified calls for transparency balanced against investigative due process.
The House is expected to decide whether to summon LDEA and security officials in the coming days as debate over accountability versus operational secrecy continues.