By Lincoln G. Peters
MONROVIA, Liberia, August 26, 2026 — Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. has raised questions about the funding source for vehicles reportedly acquired for security agencies under the Unity Party government, suggesting that alleged procurement irregularities warrant an independent investigation into possible illicit financing.
Tweah, in a statement Wednesday, questioned what he described as the absence of government procurement records for some vehicles and argued that the circumstances surrounding their acquisition should be investigated rather than dismissed.
“Where did the money come from to buy used police vehicles since government records show no procurement?” Tweah asked.
“Why would a government ‘taking us to billions’ in revenue buy used vehicles when our laws and policies do not support such? Isn’t this enough reason to draw a link to drug cartel financing? Isn’t this reason enough for the suspicion of money laundering?” he added.
Tweah did not provide documentary evidence in the statement establishing that drug proceeds financed the vehicles. Instead, he argued that questions surrounding their procurement provide sufficient grounds for an independent investigation.
The former minister also questioned why the government has not commissioned an independent probe into the matter amid the ongoing controversy surrounding major cocaine seizures and allegations involving some security officials.
“Why is the UP Government afraid to order an independent investigation?” he asked.
Tweah further accused the government of applying different standards in its handling of individuals allegedly connected to the country’s ongoing drug investigations.
He questioned what he described as a lack of accelerated charges against people allegedly connected to the nearly US$317 million cocaine shipment seized in Duazon in July, while authorities pursue allegations against former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor that reportedly date back several years.
“And why we do not see accelerated charging of UP-affiliated people who in 2026 facilitated the entry of $317 million cocaine, but we see the government struggling to fabricate a link between 2026 and 2022?” Tweah asked.
His claims of political affiliation and facilitation of the cocaine shipment were not accompanied by evidence in the statement.
Tweah also sharply criticized the government’s case against former Vice President Taylor, describing the charges against her as politically motivated and an attempt to divert attention from questions surrounding the current administration.
He argued that supporters of the government who view the charges against political opponents as evidence of seriousness in fighting drug trafficking and corruption are mistaken.
According to Tweah, issuing charge sheets against political figures does not by itself demonstrate that the government is dismantling drug-trafficking networks.
He described the government’s actions as an attempt to distract the public from what he considers more substantive questions about the financing and procurement of security vehicles and the handling of people allegedly linked to recent cocaine seizures.
Tweah maintained that questions surrounding the procurement of the vehicles and the government’s handling of the drug investigations would persist despite the charges brought against Taylor.
“Those questions would never go away because of the bogus charges we see drummed up against the former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor,” he said.
He vowed that the charges would be challenged through legal and political means.
“They would be fought both in the courts and in the streets,” Tweah declared.
The former finance minister called on Liberians to continue demanding answers about the procurement issues and the government’s handling of the drug investigations.
He argued that the controversy extends beyond individual criminal cases and raises broader questions about Liberia’s democratic, judicial and accountability institutions.
Tweah concluded by calling for what he termed “democratic resistance” to ensure that the questions surrounding the government’s actions are addressed.
The former minister’s assertions concerning cartel financing, money laundering and political connections remain allegations, and the statement did not establish that funds from drug trafficking were used to acquire government vehicles.
