Liberian authorities have charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering and other offences as part of an investigation into an international narcotics network.
Howard-Taylor was arrested at Roberts International Airport while attempting to leave the country and was taken to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police, according to the government.
The charges also include the unlicensed importation of controlled substances, criminal solicitation and criminal conspiracy.
Her lawyer, Kabineh M. Ja’neh, said he had met with her and was informed that authorities planned to formally charge her, although he had not yet seen the indictment.
The investigation comes less than a month after Liberian authorities announced the seizure of cocaine worth about $317 million, allegedly destined for Europe. The case has raised concerns about Liberia’s growing role in international drug trafficking.
Authorities have also charged three alleged members of the network in absentia — two Croatian nationals and one Ukrainian national — and said they would seek their arrest through domestic and international legal channels.
The Liberian government has vowed to prosecute anyone against whom credible and admissible evidence is established, regardless of political status.
Howard-Taylor served as vice president under former President George Weah from January 2018 to January 2024. She is also the former wife of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor, who was convicted of war crimes by an international tribunal.
Tags
World News