“WHO BROUGHT THE US$317M COCAINE? YEKEH KOLUBAH ACCUSES GOVERNMENT OF USING JEWEL CASE AS ‘DISTRACTION’”

Montserrado County:Former Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah has launched a blistering attack on the Boakai administration over the indictment and detention of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, demanding that authorities explain who allegedly brought the massive cocaine shipment into Liberia and who moved it through the country. His remarks come as Howard-Taylor remains in detention awaiting trial on drug-trafficking, money-laundering and related charges. 

Kolubah questioned whether the government’s focus on Howard-Taylor is diverting public attention from what he described as the bigger unanswered questions surrounding the US$317 million cocaine seizure. “The government wants to use this Jewel Howard-Taylor indictment and divert us from the real issues,” Kolubah said.

He challenged investigators to go beyond the former Vice President and identify the people responsible for bringing the drugs into Liberia. “We agreed that y’all have jailed Jewel, so who brought the 317 million drugs? Who transported it from high sea to RIA highway?” he asked.

Kolubah went further, declaring that he believes Howard-Taylor is innocent of the allegations against her. “I can bet with anything, Jewel isn’t guilty of what you charge her with,” he stated, while questioning the government's handling of the investigation.

The former lawmaker then made a direct and serious allegation against President Joseph Boakai, describing him as a “chief drug cartel” and alleging that the President and his children know about or are involved in the matter. “Chief Drug Cartel Joseph Boakai knows exactly that he and his children are involved,” Kolubah alleged. Those allegations have not been established as facts, and no evidence found in the current reporting supports the accusation against Boakai or his children.

Kolubah's comments come amid a widening investigation into an alleged transnational narcotics network. The government says Howard-Taylor faces multiple charges, including illicit trafficking, criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation and money laundering. A court has now ordered her held at Monrovia Central Prison pending trial. 

The case has also raised questions about the broader network allegedly responsible for moving cocaine through Liberia. Authorities say the investigation is not limited to Howard-Taylor and have charged three foreign nationals in absentia. Recent reporting also indicates that senior police officials have been implicated in connection with the wider drug-trafficking investigation. 

Kolubah also questioned whether former President George Weah would be invited for questioning, asking: “Will there be an invitation extended to Former President George Weah upon his arrival? Is he connected to previous drug trafficking cases?” Howard-Taylor served as Vice President throughout Weah's presidency, from 2018 to 2024. 

There is documented history of major cocaine cases during the Weah administration, including the 2022 seizure of roughly 520 kilograms of cocaine valued at nearly US$100 million. However, being president during a drug seizure does not by itself establish involvement in trafficking, and current reporting does not show that George Weah has been charged in the present Howard-Taylor case. 

Kolubah ended his statement by urging Liberians to look beyond the political personalities surrounding the case and demand answers about the alleged trafficking chain. “Y’all, let’s discuss the real issues and stop the distraction,” he said, adding the warning: “Watch the process and see. Ball bounce, rule change.”