MONROVIA — Former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor has been transferred to the Monrovia Central Prison after the Monrovia City Court denied a request by her lawyers to allow her to remain hospitalized while facing trial in connection with Liberia’s ongoing multimillion-dollar drug trafficking investigation.
Taylor will remain in custody at the prison as the legal proceedings against her continue.
Her defense team filed a motion on Tuesday seeking an extension of her hospital stay following her admission for medical treatment after she reportedly fell ill while in police custody.
The former vice president was taken into custody by joint security authorities last week in connection with the investigation into a major drug trafficking operation. She was subsequently charged by the Liberia National Police in connection with an alleged transnational narcotics network.
According to the Ministry of Justice, Taylor faces several charges, including unlicensed importation of controlled substances, unlicensed sale, distribution and transportation of controlled substances, illicit drug trafficking, criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
Taylor has denied the allegations and rejected any connection to the alleged drug trafficking network.
While in police custody, Taylor developed health complications and was subsequently taken to GIMS Hospital for medical treatment. Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman later said doctors had requested additional time to observe her condition before determining whether she was fit to leave the hospital.
However, the Monrovia City Court has now rejected her lawyers’ request for an extended hospital stay, paving the way for her transfer to the Monrovia Central Prison.
The case has attracted significant public attention because of Taylor’s former position as Liberia’s vice president and the extraordinary scale of the broader narcotics investigation.
The government has maintained that the allegations against Taylor must be tested in court and that she remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Her transfer to prison marks an important new phase in the high-profile case, with her defense team expected to challenge the prosecution’s allegations as proceedings move forward.
Editor’s Note
The wider drug investigation involves two major cocaine seizures reportedly valued at more than US$336 million, according to Liberian authorities. The government has linked the investigation to an alleged transnational narcotics network. However, the charges against Taylor remain allegations, and no finding of guilt has been established against her.
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