Judiciary sources expect a grand jury to indict the former vice president, but her defense says it has received no official word
MONROVIA – Uncertainty surrounded the case of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor on Wednesday. Judiciary sources said a Montserrado County grand jury was expected to indict her, but her lawyer said there was no confirmation that any indictment had been returned.
Sources within the Judiciary told FrontPageAfrica that the grand jury is expected to return an indictment against Howard-Taylor as early as today, October 7, 2026. The specific charges had not been made public as of press time.
Howard-Taylor’s lawyer, Attorney Gbawou Kowou, said the defense had heard similar reports but could not verify them. He said the defense was told that a first panel of special grand jurors failed to reach a conclusion and was disbanded on Monday. A second panel reportedly reached a decision early Wednesday.
“The second set reached a conclusion around 5 a.m. this morning,” Kowou said. “Again, we are hearing this from sources that we believe are credible. We do not have any confirmation to that effect at this point, but we are waiting.”
Neither the court nor the Ministry of Justice had publicly confirmed the grand jury’s decision as of press time.
What an indictment would mean
If returned, an indictment would move the case beyond the criminal complaint and the proceedings so far held before the Monrovia City Court and Criminal Court “C.”
The Ministry of Justice has charged Howard-Taylor with unlicensed importation of a controlled drug or substance. She is also charged with unlicensed sale, distribution, transit and transportation of a controlled substance, and illicit trafficking. Additional counts include criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
She was arrested on August 19 at Roberts International Airport, where security officers stopped her as she attempted to leave the country. She was then taken to Liberia National Police headquarters and held while investigators pursued the case.
4.2 tonnes of cocaine
The charges stem from a wider national security investigation into an alleged international cocaine network. Authorities have linked the investigation to the seizure of about 4.2 metric tonnes of cocaine, which they estimate to be worth hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. Three foreign nationals have been charged in absentia in connection with the network.
Prosecutors allege that the network operated in Liberia and other countries. They also allege that Howard-Taylor had dealings with people accused of involvement in the trafficking operation.
Howard-Taylor denies the allegations. Her lawyers maintain that she is innocent and have challenged parts of the government’s case and the way the proceedings have been conducted. They have also stressed that a criminal complaint, an indictment and a conviction are distinct legal steps.
First female vice president
Howard-Taylor served as vice president from January 2018 to January 2024 under former President George Manneh Weah. She became Liberia’s first female vice president after the Coalition for Democratic Change won the 2017 presidential election.
If indicted, she would formally stand trial on the offenses set out in the indictment. An indictment is not a finding of guilt, and the prosecution would still have to prove its case before a court of competent jurisdiction.
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