CENTAL Executive Director Mr. Anderson Miamen
MONROVIA – The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has commended the Government of Liberia(GoL) for taking decisive action against public officials implicated in the country’s largest narcotics trafficking investigation, but says the process must be more transparent, inclusive and free from political interference to restore public confidence.
By Francis G. Boayue
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, August 5, CENTAL Executive Director, Anderson Miamen, said recent developments—including the government’s crackdown on alleged drug trafficking, Liberia’s improved Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) performance and ongoing corruption-related matters—represent defining moments for governance and accountability in the country.
According to Mr. Miamen, while the government has made significant announcements in recent weeks, including dismissals, suspensions and prosecutions, true accountability will be measured by whether investigations are transparently concluded, reforms are institutionalized and justice is applied equally without favoritism.
CENTAL welcomed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s decision to suspend, dismiss and order the prosecution of 12 government and law enforcement officials following investigations into two massive narcotics seizures.
The actions followed the confiscation of 238 kilograms of narcotics valued at approximately US$19 million in June 2026 and four metric tons of drugs valued at about US$317 million in July 2026, bringing the combined estimated street value to more than US$336 million—the largest drug seizure in Liberia’s history.
Those affected include senior officials at Roberts International Airport (RIA), the Liberia National Police(LNP), the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), while additional personnel from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the NSA have been referred to the Ministry of Justice for further investigation.
The anti-corruption institution also acknowledged earlier actions by the Joint Security, including identifying airport security personnel, cargo handlers and other individuals as persons of interest, the Legislature’s suspension of cargo handling operations involving GLS Menzies and Express Handling Services and President Boakai’s public commitment to “expose and destroy” drug trafficking networks operating in Liberia.
“CENTAL applauds members of the Joint Security for pursuing the investigation and the President for acting rather than shelving the findings,” Mr. Miamen said.
He also praised the Liberian media, civil society organizations and citizens whose sustained advocacy, he noted, helped compel authorities to disclose the identities of persons under investigation.
Despite welcoming the government’s actions, CENTAL warned that the scale of the drug seizures exposed serious institutional weaknesses within Liberia’s security architecture.
According to the organization, narcotics of such magnitude could not have passed through the country’s airports, seaports and borders without systemic failures and collusion involving individuals occupying strategic positions.
“The dismissal of senior security officials is not merely a personnel matter; it reflects significant governance failures that require structural reforms beyond removing individuals,” Mr. Miamen stated.
CENTAL expressed concern over what it described as delayed public disclosure of information surrounding the investigations, noting that the lack of regular updates has fuelled public suspicion about the possible involvement of additional high-profile state and non-state actors.
The organization called on the government to provide timely and comprehensive updates throughout the investigation to strengthen public trust in state institutions.
It also recommended merit-based recruitment and thorough vetting of officials appointed to key security positions, periodic rotation of officers serving in strategic assignments and stronger safeguards against institutional compromise.
Furthermore, CENTAL urged authorities to broaden the investigative process by involving international partners, civil society organizations and other credible national stakeholders to enhance the independence and credibility of the investigations.
The organization emphasized that there should be “no sacred cows,” insisting that every individual connected to the narcotics network be investigated and prosecuted regardless of status or political affiliation.
Turning to the extractive sector, CENTAL congratulated the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) following Liberia’s achievement of an 80 percent score in the 2026 Validation Report assessing implementation of the 2023 EITI Standard.
The report credited Liberia with making notable progress in aligning EITI implementation with national development priorities, promoting public debate and improving public access to information on the extractive sector.
CENTAL praised the LEITI Secretariat and the Multi-Stakeholder Group for what it described as measurable progress in improving transparency in one of Liberia’s most economically significant sectors.
However, the organization cautioned against complacency, noting that the validation report also highlighted several outstanding challenges, including inconsistencies in production and revenue data, incomplete implementation of beneficial ownership disclosure requirements, weak data assurance mechanisms and inadequate transparency regarding the environmental and social impacts of mining activities.
Mr. Miamen stressed that an improved validation score should not be viewed as an end in itself but rather as an indication of progress requiring sustained reforms.
He called on LEITI to publish a fully costed and time-bound implementation plan addressing the recommendations contained in the validation report and urged the Legislature and development partners to provide the necessary resources to support implementation.
CENTAL further advocated for greater transparency in the negotiation, renegotiation, monitoring and oversight of extractive contracts to ensure that Liberians receive maximum value from the country’s natural resources.
“The value of this achievement will depend entirely on whether the identified reforms are implemented before the next assessment and whether the gains outlast changes in leadership,” Mr. Miamen concluded.
