Former Finance Minister Tweah Alleges President Boakai Is “Held Hostage” by Cartel, Party, and Government Factions Amid Dispute Over Independent Drug Investigation
BY: Rufus Divine Brooks Jr.
MONROVIA, Liberia – Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah Jr., has accused President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of facing intense internal pressure from competing factions within government as he weighs a decision on how to investigate Liberia’s recent $370 million drug seizure.
In a social media post Wednesday, Tweah said the President is being “held hostage” by three clashing interests: government and security officials allegedly linked to drug networks, Unity Party stalwarts concerned about the 2029 elections, and a group of “regime purists” with no cartel ties who favor an independent investigation.
According to Tweah, credible information indicates that President Boakai is leaning toward an independent probe, but is being blocked by cartel-linked officials and party hardliners.
“For cartel-linked officials, any decision to move toward an independent investigation is suicidal for reelection, as such a move will drag many senior government people into prosecution and expose the Rescue Government as a Narco Government,” Tweah stated.
He further alleged that some Unity Party officials are pushing for a compromised investigation that would “politically muddy the waters” by implicating former CDC officials, despite what he described as a lack of evidence.
Tweah claimed the President has privately expressed concern that a compromised investigation could cause more damage to the Unity Party, and has noted that recent incidents, including the disappearance of a ship on Liberian shores, have eroded public trust in a government-led process.
“President Boakai contends that Liberians cannot be fooled anymore,” Tweah wrote, adding that the international community must increase pressure to ensure transparency.
The former minister urged President Boakai not to cave in and to be the president for a generation and not a president for an election,” a phrase he noted the President has used in past speeches.
“We continue to call for an Independent Investigation as nothing the Government is presently doing will ever be considered credible by Liberians, the opposition and the international community,” Tweah said.
The Boakai administration has faced mounting scrutiny over its handling of the $370 million drug bust announced earlier this year.
Calls for an independent, international investigation have grown amid concerns over procurement delays and credibility of the current probe.