By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia — Media executive Alfred G. Togba is challenging the credibility of the Joint Security Investigative Taskforce handling Liberia’s US$19.2 million cocaine seizure at RIA, warning that critical gaps are shielding high-profile names.
Appearing Monday on Prime Morning Drive, The People News Online Publisher said the investigation which has charged five persons, is surrounded by unanswered questions. He argued that the Taskforce appears to be avoiding scrutiny of key individuals tied to the June 8, 2026 bust.
Togba singled out the failure to indict Ruth Gbopea, one of the airport cargo scanner who allegedly cleared the consignment despite scanner alerts. He also blasted investigators for ignoring a June 13, 2026 testimony in which a suspect named Rahim Bah and Michael U.S. Brown as the drug’s owners. “Why did the Joint Security Taskforce not pay key interest in locating Rahim Bah and Michael Brown?” he asked.
The media boss pointed to contradictions in the police account. He noted that Brown, later identified as the same person as Rahim Bah, was a prior drug indictee who “clandestinely left prison on bail something that violates the Liberian drug law.” Yet during a Senate hearing, the Inspector General of Police described Brown as “a side distraction” incapable of handling such a quantity. “How come the same Michael has now been charged when the IG told the Senate he was insignificant to the case?” Togba questioned.
Togba further demanded answers on how the drugs entered Liberia at all. With police confirming no local production site, he asked: “If there’s no production site here, it means the drug was brought in. Who brought it in and through what means? Why is the Joint Security silent on how the drug came into the country?” Citing the scale and complexity, he called for an independent, international team to take over: “Maybe this case is big for them. You need international people who understand these kinds of investigations to come in and help.”
