By Lewis S. Teh
MONROVIA, August 10, 2026 — The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has welcomed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s swift decision ordering an investigation into circumstances surrounding the recusal of Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Officer-in-Charge Fitzgerald T. M. Biago, but is calling for broader participation in the probe to strengthen its credibility.
CENTAL Executive Director Anderson D. Miamen said the President’s decision was timely, particularly amid what he described as declining public confidence in the country’s security institutions.
“Trust is very limited in the security sector right now. I welcome the President’s swift action on this matter. Also, the Minister of Justice is a respectable statesman who is capable of performing the indicated task,” Miamen said.
President Boakai on Saturday directed Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh to immediately launch what the Executive Mansion described as a comprehensive and impartial investigation into allegations surrounding Biago and submit a detailed report within 48 hours.
The directive followed Biago’s request to temporarily recuse himself from his duties at the LDEA amid allegations that he received a Toyota pickup from an individual allegedly associated with a drug-trafficking organization.
Biago has denied the allegation, maintaining 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 organization.
He said his decision to step aside was intended to preserve the independence of the investigation, protect the integrity of the LDEA and maintain public confidence in the country’s anti-drug campaign.
President Boakai has said the investigation must be thorough, objective and guided by the facts, stressing that no individual or institution is above the law.
The President said he would review the Justice Ministry’s findings upon receipt of the report and determine the appropriate course of action.
However, Miamen said that while the Justice Minister is capable of conducting the investigation, involving independent institutions could strengthen public confidence in its findings.
He suggested that the Ministry of Justice invite representatives of the Liberia National Bar Association, civil society, the media, the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia and the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia to participate in the investigation.
“Since the President did not do so, perhaps in good faith, the Minister of Justice should invite representatives of the named institutions to jointly investigate the saga,” Miamen said.
He clarified that the proposal should not be interpreted as questioning the Justice Ministry’s ability to conduct the investigation, but rather as an effort to make the process more inclusive, independent and credible.
The Justice Minister has been given 48 hours to investigate the allegations and circumstances surrounding Biago’s recusal and submit his findings to President Boakai.
The controversy comes amid heightened public scrutiny of Liberia’s security institutions following major cocaine seizures and ongoing investigations into alleged links between narcotics traffickers and individuals within government and law enforcement.
