MONROVIA, Liberia – August 8, 2026 – The Officer-in-Charge of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), DCP Fitzgerald K. M. Biago, has requested permission to temporarily step aside from his duties while authorities investigate an allegation that he received a Toyota pickup vehicle from an individual allegedly linked to a drug-trafficking organization.
In a letter dated August 8, 2026, addressed to Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, Biago asked to temporarily recuse himself from his position pending the outcome of the investigation.
Biago strongly denied the allegation, insisting that he neither solicited nor knowingly accepted any gift, benefit, or inducement from a drug trafficker or anyone acting on behalf of a drug-trafficking network.
“I categorically deny this allegation,” Biago wrote, stressing that his request to step aside should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing.
According to the letter, the LDEA official said his temporary recusal is intended to protect the integrity and independence of the investigation, preserve public confidence in the agency, and avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest.
He also pledged to cooperate fully with investigators and provide any relevant information or documentation lawfully requested.
Biago further requested that an acting official be designated to oversee the LDEA during his absence and called for a timely, fair, impartial, and transparent conclusion to the investigation.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Liberia’s security institutions following a series of major narcotics investigations and recent government actions against public officials and law enforcement officers accused of involvement in drug-related activities.
The allegation against Biago remains unproven, and his letter makes clear that he denies any wrongdoing.
