-The Sahara Report Says
Almost all the names of individuals the Sahara Report claims are associated with the cache of cocaine put at the cost of US$ 19.2M are household names in the inner cycle of the current Liberian Government.
Prominent amongst them are Macdellar Cooper, President Joseph Boakai’s political advisor and girlfriend of House Speaker, Richard Nagbe Koon, Mohammed Bar, special presidential envoy, Tantan Boakai, son of the President, Gregory Coleman, Inspector General of the Liberia National Police and others.
Their names were contained in the Sahara Report at the time the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency, LDEA, is under immense public pressure to name those suspected of having a link to the huge consignment of illicit drugs, but the Agency has in a statement said it will not prematurely name the suspects due to public pressure.
The ‘Sahara Report’ often covering stories in Liberia is published by Sahara Reporters, an international online news agency founded in 2006 by a Nigerian human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore and headquartered in New York City.
The outlet relies on a network of citizen journalists and correspondents in many countries, including Liberia to expose corruption and promote government accountability.
The online new outlet has also reported that the cost of the drugs in question was under rated, putting the cost at over fifty million dollars.
During the administration of former President George Weah and his CDC government, the Sahara Reporters similarly reported on the one hundred million worth of drugs that was discovered at the same Roberts International Airport,
While the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency or LDEA is still withholding the names of the suspects, it is uncertain that the names the Agency may reveal will corroborate with names the Sahara Reporters has already revealed.
The Sahara Report has also said the LDEA should not claim credit for the discovery of the cache of drugs at the Roberts’ International Airport because it was discovered as a result of intelligence from the United States Embassy near Monrovia.
Meanwhile, Information Minister, Jerolinmek Mathew Piah, has said Liberia was not known for trafficking drugs until the period from 2019 to 2023 when drugs worth over hundred million dollars were brought into the Country during the administration of former President George Weah.
Addressing the Tuesday’s edition of the MICAT regular press briefing, Piah said the current government has significantly reduced the proliferation of drugs across the Country, adding that the Boakai government remains resolute in curtailing the use and trafficking of illicit substances.
Piah said while some people, mainly from the opposition are insinuating about the reported $19.2 million worth of cocaine, the Government is determined to investigate the matter and find out those who are actually linked to the crime.
On Tuesday, the officer in charge of the LDEA, Fitzgerald Biago, appeared before members of the House of Representatives to provide a detailed account of the Agency’s ant-drugs operations following the interception of cocaine valued at approximately US$19.2 Million Dollars at the Roberts International Airport,
His appearance comes in response to a mandate from the House triggered by growing legislative concerns over Liberia’s vulnerability to international drug trafficking and questions surrounding the effectiveness of national security systems.
The session was prompted by a communication from Bong County Disrict-6 Representative, Moima Briggs-Mensah, who called for stronger parliamentary oversight of the Country’s anti-drug enforcement framework in the wake of the high-profile cocaine seizure.
Meanwhile, Miss MacDella Cooper has pushed back against what she says is opposition criticism linking her to the ongoing controversy surrounding Liberia’s recent US$19 million drug seizure.
In a social media post, Cooper dismissed the allegations and attacks from political opponents, stating that her name has become a frequent target of opposition figures.
“My name has become MILK Candy in the opposition mouth,” Cooper wrote, suggesting that critics have become overly fixated on mentioning her in discussions related to the high-profile drug bust.
Her comments come amid growing public debate and political accusations following the interception of a large cocaine shipment valued at approximately US$19 million. The case has sparked calls for transparency and accountability as investigations continue.
Neither Cooper nor the government has indicated that she is directly connected to the drug case, but opposition figures have continued to raise questions as authorities pursue their inquiry into the seizure.
