By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia, — The Ministry of Justice has dismissed as “false and without factual basis” allegations linking the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police to a bribery attempt tied to an ongoing transnational narcotics investigation.
In a release issued Friday, the Ministry said an internal probe by the Joint National Security Investigative Task Force found that one officer received money from an individual seeking the release of suspects in police custody.
According to the Ministry, the officer collected and kept the money without reporting it to superiors or to the Task Force. Investigators found “no evidence that the Inspector General of Police received, authorized, directed, or had prior knowledge of the money.”
“Zero tolerance” action taken
Citing the government’s zero tolerance policy on corruption, the Ministry said the officer has been immediately removed from the Joint National Security Investigative Task Force, relieved of duty, and is now facing disciplinary and criminal proceedings under Liberian law.
The Ministry did not name the officer.
Investigation to continue “without fear or favor”
The Ministry stressed that the broader narcotics probe will proceed independently. “No individual, regardless of position, influence, nationality, or affiliation, will be shielded from accountability where credible evidence establishes criminal responsibility,” the release stated.
It also commended members of the Joint National Security Investigative Task Force for “professionalism, integrity, and unwavering commitment to the rule of law.”
Call to the public
The Ministry urged Liberians to refrain from circulating “false and malicious” information and to allow investigators to complete their work. “Public confidence in the justice system is strengthened by facts, evidence, and due process, not speculation or misinformation,” the statement read.
The statement was signed by Jutonu Y. Kollie, Director of Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Justice, and circulated to the Ministry of Information, Liberia National Police, LACC, the U.S. Embassy, and other government and media institutions.
The announcement comes amid heightened public attention on the government’s transnational drug trafficking investigation.
