MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Ministry of Justice has dismissed claims linking the 2024 release of Michael U.S. Brown to the ongoing investigation into the attempted exportation of approximately US$19.2 million worth of cocaine, describing such assertions as false and misleading.
In a press release issued on July 3, the Ministry said Brown’s prosecution in 2024 stemmed from a separate criminal case involving the seizure of cannabis valued at approximately US$200,000 at Roberts International Airport. According to the Ministry, the matter has no connection to the current high-profile cocaine investigation.
The Ministry clarified that Brown, who was a pre-trial detainee, was released solely on the strength of an order issued Verity Online News CareThe Town Square nth Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County on September 20, 2024. It emphasized that the Ministry neither authorized nor facilitated his release, which was granted on medical grounds after the court approved a human surety bond.
Officials said the clarification became necessary following widespread misinformation attempting to associate Brown’s court-ordered release with the ongoing cocaine case.
The Justice Ministry reiterated that any suggestion that Brown’s release was connected to the current investigation is “false, misleading, and unsupported by the facts.”
The Ministry further assured the public that all investigations, including the ongoing cocaine case, will be conducted professionally, impartially, and in strict accordance with the laws of Liberia.
