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ADNews-Monrovia,Liberia: The hopes of many well-meaning Liberians and members of the international community appear to be fading as the Government of Liberia seems unbothered to impartially investigate the widely discussed US$19.2 million drug bust at Roberts International Airport (RIA).
Following mounting public and legislative pressure on the Joint Security Team heading the investigation to arrest and charge individuals directly linked to the drugs, Paul King, a senior staff member of Global Logistics Services (GLS), a cargo transportation company that forms part of GLS-Menzies Aviation Cargo Services, which prevented the package containing the cocaine from leaving the country due to a weight discrepancy, has now become the focus of the prosecution after voluntarily returning from the United States to assist investigators with information needed to trace those responsible for the trafficking operation.
Paul King’s incarceration has been described by many as a tactical effort to shift public attention and reduce the pressure previously mounted on investigators to identify and prosecute all individuals connected to the case.
Paul who had referred a client to Express Handling Services (EHS), a private cargo handling firm at Roberts International Airport (RIA), acting as a broker, has now been detained despite being in the United States at the time the shipment was processed. The shipper, Michael Brown, alias Rahem Bah, was the individual who accordingly contacted Paul regarding the exportation.
Public record shows that Paul only made a referral to another freight forwarder, EHS, which subsequently handled the shipment.
However, the government has failed to arrest Michael even though he was reportedly seen in Liberia for several days after the drug bust before the police informed the public about his being at-Large status.
Michael faces several accusations of being one of the ringleaders in the drug cartel, but has reportedly been shielded from prosecution to protect the cartel.
Few years back, Michael was arrested with a huge amount of drugs, sentenced to several years in prison, but was shortly released, even though drug-related crimes remain unbailable offenses, stirring controversy on law enforcement officers’ accountability in fighting drugs partially.
With little or no publicly disclosed evidence linking Paul King to the alleged crime, while many others connected to the case who could provide adequate information to implicate those responsible remain at large, there is a strong possibility that the court could ultimately exonerate him. Such an outcome could pose another embarrassment for Liberia if the State loses the case while lingering questions remain as to whether investigators adequately pursued all credible leads.
Now, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s government finds itself at a crossroads, as any perceived shortcomings or compromises in the investigative findings could undermine public confidence in the country’s fight against drug trafficking.
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