MONROVIA -- The Liberia National Police has removed its deputy commissioner for crime services after he allegedly admitted receiving US$10,000 in connection with suspects held in the country's largest cocaine investigation, Inspector General Col. Gregory O. Coleman announced.
Coleman told journalists during an update on the investigation that Col. Johnny Dean, who heads Crime Services, the division known within the force as Unit 106, has been relieved of his post with immediate effect. Dean has also been interdicted and turned over to the Professional Standards Division for an internal investigation, the police chief said.
According to Coleman, Dean was not directly linked to the trafficking of the cocaine itself but allegedly compromised the integrity of the investigation by attempting to provide assistance or comfort to individuals already in police custody.
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"He has admitted to receiving US$10,000, and as such, Johnny D. is relieved of his post with immediate effect," Coleman declared.
The inspector general said the internal inquiry will be followed by a criminal investigation, and that Dean will face the courts if investigators establish sufficient evidence.
"If he's found guilty, if he's is found culpable and charged, he will be taken to court as well," Coleman said.
He said the deputy commissioner for intelligence and criminal investigation has been instructed to assume Dean's responsibilities on an interim basis to ensure continuity in the investigation.
Coleman used the occasion to issue one of his strongest warnings yet against corruption within the Liberia National Police, stressing that rank or position would not shield anyone from accountability.
"Nobody will hide behind your offices here and try to do anything unethical or that will bring this government into corporate disrepute," he warned.
Describing the Liberia National Police as "the people's police," Coleman vowed that investigators would pursue every lead regardless of where the evidence points.
"We stand ready and prepared to follow this investigation wherever the evidence leads," he said.
He also sought to reassure the public that additional arrests could follow.
"Anyone connected will be subsequently arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law," he said.
Coleman also provided details on the estimated value of the cocaine seized during the operation, saying investigators recovered 3,971 kilograms with an estimated street value of about US$317.68 million.
He explained that the wholesale value was calculated using a median estimate of US$80,000 per kilogram, and that the retail figure could climb once the narcotics are broken down and distributed.
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"The final street value can go even higher, almost US$400 million, depending on how the drugs are distributed and diluted," he said.
Coleman said authorities deliberately used a conservative valuation to avoid exaggerating the worth of the narcotics. He dismissed public speculation surrounding the case and insisted that investigators remain focused on uncovering the full network behind the shipment, adding that the police have a constitutional and legal responsibility to enforce the law without fear or favor.
The removal signals that the investigation is widening beyond alleged traffickers to public officials suspected of interfering with the administration of justice. With one senior commander already out and under investigation, police say more arrests remain possible as detectives trace financial transactions and other evidence tied to the case.
