This paper has gathered that ongoing agitations among top officers at the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) are said to be deeper than what is in the public domain.
Sources within the corridors of the LDEA informed this paper over the weekend that at the center of this bitter dispute is a suspect who was left untouched in the famous US100 million drugs bust at the TRH Trading Corporation, a conglomerate of AJA Group rented warehouse facility off the Japanese Freeway in Monrovia on Saturday, October 1, 2022.
The Lebanese Businessman, whose name is withheld, was linked to the US100 million drug but left off the hook by the former government, he is said to have made some undisclosed gestures to the top officers as a way of persuading them to turn a blind eye to his operations here.
Cocaine Stockpiled as chicken feet
The refusal of this offer is alleged to have triggered the ongoing bad blood between LDEA Director General Abraham S. Kromah and his two deputies, Col. Gbawou Kowou and Col. Hassan Fadiga.
The latter is said to be fighting to oust the former to gain control of the LDEA, which, by creating it, gives more power to the director general.
The source said the fight that went viral over the existence of a zombie drug in the country was just a tip of the deep routed sentiments between the men at the agency.
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What happened?
On Monday, 3 June 2024, Col. Kromah and Col. Fadiga reportedly engaged in a fight following their disagreement about the existence of a narcotic substance called zombie.
Social media was inundated with reports of an alleged altercation between the two top officers at the LDEA. The tension erupted between the senior law enforcement officials within the LDEA facility in Sinkor after both men shared varying views about the zombie drugs.
The conflict was said to have started after Col. Fadiga allegedly rubbished the existence of the zombie drugs in Liberia.
The Liberia National Police (LNP) had to intervene to calm the situation between the two senior officers at the LDEA.
According to. Mr. Fadiga, LDEA Officers have thoroughly investigated and determined that there are no zombie drugs found in Liberia.
Following the altercation, Col. Fadiga used social media to attempt to clarify that he did not brandish any weapon, contrary to Col. Kromah's claim.
President Joseph N. Boakai hours later suspended the trio and ordered an immediate investigation into the ongoing bitter disputes among the men who have been trusted with battling the influx of illicit drugs in the country.
The uncaught suspect in the famous US100 million drugs bust
In October 2022, the Government of Liberia, through Justice Minister Musa Dean, declined to arrest and question top management at the TRH Trading Corporation over the huge quantity of drugs that were found in their consigned container, describing them as victims rather than perpetrators.
Despite repeated calls by this paper that the company officials be questioned or treated as suspected in the case, Justice Minister Dean chose to let TRH walk free.
While there were reports which claimed it was the head of the AJA Group, George Abi Joudi, that reported the drugs found in one of its containers to authorities at the US Embassy near Monrovia, this paper gathered from intelligent sources that it was rather the US Embassy who hinted top officers at the National Security Agency (NSA and that the AJA Group running to the US Embassy was based on a tip-off that members of the security forces were on their tails.
Former Justice Minister Dean's clearing of TRH
The hasty clearing of TRH by the Liberian Government of any link with the stockpiled of drugs discovered in its consigned container begs a lot of questions.
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Brokers said at the time that there was no way that TRH could prove its innocence when the container containing the drugs was shipped to the company.
What brokers found more interesting about this shipment and the privileges being enjoyed by TRH Trading Company is that the Global Maritime Tracking Solution, which tracks all shipments from around the globe, warned that the consignment containing the drugs be subject to physical inspection.
However, customs authorities at the National Port Authority ignored the warning and allowed the container to leave the port without any physical inspection.
Upon taking over at the LDEA, Col. Kromah vowed that his team would re-open an investigation into the US100 million drug bust to include suspects that were not questioned during the previous investigation, that is to include management at the TRH Trading Corporation. (To be continued).
