CENTAL Applauds Government's Action in Major Drug Bust, Calls for Greater Transparency and Accountability

By: Feeme M. Wantee

Monrovia, Liberia – August 5, 2026 – The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has commended the Government of Liberia for taking decisive action against officials linked to the country’s largest narcotics trafficking case while urging authorities to strengthen transparency, public accountability, and inclusiveness throughout the ongoing investigation. The anti-corruption institution said the government’s recent actions represent a positive step in the fight against drug trafficking but emphasized that sustained reforms and open communication are essential to restoring public trust in state institutions.

Addressing a press conference in Monrovia on Wednesday, CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen praised President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for ordering the suspension, dismissal, and prosecution of government and security officials implicated in the investigation.

The action follows two major drug seizures carried out by the Joint Security Team in June and July 2026, involving approximately 4.2 metric tons of narcotics with a combined estimated street value of more than US$336 million. The organization described the seizures as the largest in Liberia’s history and said they exposed serious weaknesses within the country’s security and border management systems.

Miamen also acknowledged the role played by the Liberian media, civil society organizations, and ordinary citizens in demanding transparency throughout the investigation. According to him, persistent public pressure compelled authorities to disclose the identities of persons of interest, leading to concrete government action. He noted that the sequence of public advocacy, official disclosure, and subsequent disciplinary measures demonstrates how civic engagement can strengthen accountability and reinforce democratic governance.

“CENTAL applauds members of the joint security for pursuing the investigation and the President for acting rather than shelving the findings from these investigations,” Miamen said, adding that the government’s willingness to act on the investigation sends an important message that no institution should be beyond scrutiny.

Despite welcoming the government’s response, CENTAL cautioned that the scale of the narcotics operation points to a broader governance crisis rather than isolated misconduct by a few individuals. The organization argued that the involvement of senior officials from Roberts International Airport, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the Liberia National Police, and the National Security Agency suggests that multiple layers of Liberia’s security architecture had been compromised. It warned that simply dismissing officials would not be enough to address the systemic failures that allowed such a sophisticated trafficking network to operate.

CENTAL further expressed concern over what it described as delays and insufficient public disclosure regarding the ongoing investigation. The organization said many Liberians remain uncertain about whether all individuals connected to the trafficking network have been identified and whether justice will be applied equally. It therefore called on the government to provide regular public updates, ensure transparent investigative procedures, and involve international partners, civil society organizations, and other independent stakeholders to enhance the credibility and integrity of the process.

The organization also recommended the competitive recruitment and thorough vetting of individuals appointed to strategic positions within Liberia’s security sector. In addition, it advocated for the regular rotation of officers assigned to key security institutions to reduce the risk of corruption, familiarity, and undue influence. CENTAL maintained that there should be “no sacred cows” in the investigation and urged the government to prosecute every individual found responsible, regardless of their political or institutional affiliation.

Beyond the narcotics investigation, CENTAL welcomed Liberia’s progress under the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), which received an 80 percent score in the 2026 Validation Report assessing implementation of the 2023 EITI Standard. The organization described the achievement as a significant milestone, reflecting improvements in transparency, public participation, and access to information within Liberia’s extractive sector. It congratulated the LEITI Secretariat and its Multi-Stakeholder Group for the progress made, noting that the result demonstrates that sustained institutional reforms can produce measurable outcomes.

However, CENTAL emphasized that the validation report also highlighted several critical areas requiring further attention, including inconsistencies in production and revenue reporting, limited institutionalization of beneficial ownership disclosure, and the need for stronger environmental and social reporting mechanisms. The organization urged LEITI to publish a costed and time-bound implementation plan to address these recommendations and called on the Legislature and development partners to provide the financial and technical support needed to sustain the reforms.

“A score is not a reform. It is a measurement of progress at a moment in time; the value of that moment depends entirely on whether the corrective actions identified are implemented before the next assessment,” Miamen concluded, stressing that transparency, accountability, and strong institutions remain essential to Liberia’s democratic and economic development.