By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia — Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh on Monday morning accused the Boakai administration of protecting a “cartel network” instead of fighting narcotics. In his latest statement since the $336 million cocaine bust, Konneh said the government is punishing small officers while shielding senior officials who oversee the drug trade inside Liberia’s security forces.
Konneh said the system is designed to deceive the public. “Small officers are sacrificed to create a false media spectacle, while the true architects walk free,” he stated. According to him, whenever big cocaine syndicates are uncovered, junior officers are suspended without due process. At the same time, the senior officials in charge of those officers are left in office and even allowed to supervise investigations into their own institutions.
He said this double standard is eroding trust and proving that the drug war is about politics, not national security. “When senior officials remain untouched and junior officers are scapegoated, it is clear that the fight against narcotics is driven by political convenience,” Konneh said. He compared the current case to the $100 million narcotics case under the previous government and said Liberians can see that those in power are protected while others are punished. He also condemned calls for critics to “watch their mouths,” saying it only deepens fear and impunity.
The Senator warned that the damage goes beyond politics. “Drug trafficking devastates our youth, finances criminal networks, and destabilizes the nation, especially with the northern border with Guinea already under strain,” he said. Konneh argued that removing officers without taking them to court means some people are above the law. “If security officials who have been removed are not held to the same legal standards as ordinary officers, then ‘Kush Must Go’ was never a genuine policy. It was nothing more than a slogan.”
Konneh said he has been speaking out since the $336 million bust and will not stop. “When I supported President Boakai, I did not seek a position. I asked for action against illicit drugs and the culture of impunity. He assured me he would deliver. Liberians are still waiting. We will not stay silent,” he said.
