Monrovia – The Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), and businessman Simeon Freeman, has threatened legal action against the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) over what he describes as an unnecessary delay in disclosing the identities of suspects linked to a major drug seizure valued at approximately US$19.3 million.
Freeman, in a Facebook post on Sunday, June 14, commended the LDEA for the large-scale interception of narcotics but raised concerns about the agency’s decision to withhold the names of individuals allegedly connected to the shipment.
“I salute the LDEA on the huge seizure of drugs, said to be worth USD 19 million but estimated at USD 50 million by Sahara,” Freeman stated. “Liberia has never had a drug discovery problem but a traffickers’ handling and management challenge.”
He argued that the agency’s justification for not releasing names—citing the need to preserve the integrity of ongoing investigations—was “untenable,” insisting that transparency would strengthen public support for law enforcement efforts.
Freeman further reasoned that drug trafficking operates in a structured chain involving consumers, dealers, and importers, suggesting that withholding information at any level could undermine accountability.
“A drug bust is a drug bust. The traffickers must be immediately revealed to enable public information support to the LDEA,” he said, adding that once a seizure is made public, elements within the trafficking network are already alerted.
He also questioned the logic of protecting the identities of suspects at this stage of the investigation, arguing that public disclosure would not significantly compromise ongoing probes.
“If the LDEA had not announced the catch to preserve the integrity of the investigation, that would be understandable,” Freeman noted. “So at this stage, the only plausible reason for the delay is the theory that this bust is linked to President Joseph Boakai and cronies.”
The MPC political leader warned that continued delay in releasing the identities of suspects could force him to seek judicial intervention.
“Should there be further delays, we might be compelled to request the courts to compel the LDEA, funded by public resources, to act in the public interest,” he said.
The LDEA has not yet publicly responded to Freeman’s comments. The US$19.3 million drug seizure remains one of the largest narcotics interceptions in Liberia in recent years, drawing widespread public and political attention.
