- Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has called on the Liberian Senate to obtain key documents and evidence related to the ongoing investigation into the seizure of US$19.2 million worth of cocaine, including call logs of suspects, the legal basis for the Joint Investigative Task Force, and records explaining the release of Roberts International Airport Security Director for Intelligence, Oscar Brown.
In a communication to the Senate plenary on Tuesday, July 7, Kogar requested that the matter be forwarded to the Committee on National Defense, Security, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs to seek the information from the Liberia National Police (LNP), the National Security Council and the Ministry of Justice.
Kogar argued that the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has the primary statutory responsibility for drug investigations and questioned how the investigation shifted to the Liberia National Police without what he described as clear authorization from the National Security Council.
He maintained that if the case had been elevated to a national security matter, the National Security Council should have formally convened and appointed a special body to oversee the investigation.
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"The National Security Council should have convened and appoint a Special Committee to head the investigations, but that did not happen," Kogar said.
"So, the questions of how the investigations left the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) to the Liberia National Police is unanswered and it is also important for us to be informed as to which International Security entity is helping with the investigations."
The senator further contended that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Chairman of the National Security Council, should clarify whether he authorized or presided over any council meeting that appointed the current investigative team headed by the Inspector General of Police.
Drawing comparisons with the investigation into the December 2024 Capitol Building arson, Kogar said security agencies were then able to coordinate effectively, identify suspects and bring charges within a relatively short period.
He questioned why similar investigative techniques, including the use of call records, have not been publicly presented in the drug trafficking case.
"So, in this case, why is it that the Police and the National Security Agency failed to provide information on call logs of persons of interest to help the investigations?"
He urged the Senate to request from the Liberia National Police all call logs of suspects or persons of interest and the formal communication from the National Security Council appointing the Police Inspector General as head of the Joint Investigative Task Force.
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"Honorable Pro-Temp and Distinguished Colleagues, it is very important that the Senate, thru its Committee on Defense, Intelligence, Security & Veteran Affairs request the followings: all call logs of persons of interest; and the formal letter from the National Security Council appointing the Police IG as head of this investigation," Kogar requested.
Kogar also raised concerns over the release of Oscar Brown, Security Director for Intelligence at Roberts International Airport, after Inspector General Gregory O. W. Coleman reportedly told lawmakers that Brown had been "signed for" and released from detention.
The senator called on the Judiciary or the Ministry of Justice to provide the official release order authorizing Brown's release.
He also requested that Brown's legal counsel appear before the Senate with documentary evidence explaining the legal basis for securing his client's release.
According to Kogar, obtaining those records is necessary to ensure transparency and strengthen public confidence in the credibility of the investigation into one of Liberia's largest drug seizures.
