By: Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, September 1, 2025: The newly appointed Officer in Charge of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Fitzgerald Biago, has ordered all operational and administrative heads to sign a strict confidentiality code aimed at stopping the leakage of sensitive information to the public.
On August 27, 2025, a leaked audio recording surfaced, capturing Major Abraham O. Payne, the LDEA Chief of Operations, instructing officers to release his daughter, who had been detained during a drug-related operation in a ghetto.
In the recording, Payne is heard ordering officers to release her to her sister, claiming she had been assaulted during the arrest. He also directed that only the man allegedly found with drugs be held, dismissing any accusations against his daughter.
Following the emergence of the audio, LDEA Director General Anthony K. Souh announced the immediate suspension of Major Payne and referred the matter to the Board of Internal Inquiry and Professional Standards (BIIPS) for a thorough investigation.
Days after his decision, an Executive Mansion release announced the dismissal of DG Souh for what it termed administrative reasons, subsequently appointing Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Fitzgerald Biago as the Officer-in-Charge of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Following the formal dismissal of DG Souh, the new Officer-in-Charge and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Fitzgerald Biago, held his first meeting with operational and administrative heads on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
During a meeting, he instructed all operational heads to sign a confidentiality code. warning that any officers caught leaking sensitive information would be severely sanctioned and held personally accountable for undermining the Agency’s integrity.
“No act of indiscipline, insubordination, or sabotage will be entertained, and any officer caught leaking sensitive information will face immediate and decisive consequences,” he noted.
As part of reinforcing institutional discipline, DCP Biago mandated strict time consciousness, professionalism, and accuracy in the discharge of duties. He assured that the war on drugs would be waged with an aggressive, uncompromising, and coordinated approach.
In an effort to clarify the essence of the new policy and address concerns regarding transparency and potential shielding of internal misconduct, this paper contacted Dahn Demey, the LDEA Communications Officer.
In our conversation, Demey explained that the move aims to strengthen investigations and safeguard crucial information, given the sensitive nature of the security sector. He believes the new policy will help bring stability to the agency, noting that recent leaks have weakened operational output and jeopardized national security.
Meanwhile, the new LDEA boss outlined his leadership’s uncompromising stance on discipline, accountability, and professionalism. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
