By: Ben T.C. Brooks
Southeastern Liberia | Oct. 21, 2025 | A prominent Liberian businesswoman, Madam Vesta Gaysue, a native of River Gee County, has accused officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency – LDEA assigned to Grand Kru County of allegedly demanding that she surrender her four million Liberian dollars (LD$4 million) and amount she claims represents legitimate business proceeds.
According to Madam Gaysue, the alleged incident occurred on Sunday, October 19, 2025, while she was traveling through the Dweken checkpoint, a major security post leading into Barclayville, the administrative capital of Grand Kru County.
She recounted that LDEA officers stopped her motorbike, questioned her about the source of her money, and insisted that she hand it over despite her explanations and the presentation of official documents verifying the legitimacy of her business.
“I showed them all my legal documents, including my tax clearances and business registration papers, but they still demanded that I give them the money,” Madam Gaysue told Verity News in an interview.
Madam Gaysue said that although she was not physically assaulted during the encounter, she was subjected to what she described as an “embarrassing and intimidating search” by a female LDEA officer, who allegedly rummaged through her luggage, travel bags, and personal items in full public view.
Following the search, she said she was eventually allowed to proceed on her journey. However, she noted that shortly afterward, she realized a group of LDEA officers were following her motorbike.
“When I noticed they were following me, I stopped. They told me to get on their motorbike so they could take me to Barclayville for questioning,” she explained.
“I refused because I’m pregnant, and riding a motorbike that far could be risky for my health. That’s when I knew they were trying to intimidate me.”
The businesswoman described the ordeal as a “terrifying experience”, saying she feared for her safety and believed the officers were attempting to extort money from her under false pretenses.
She has since called on the LDEA headquarters in Monrovia and the Ministry of Justice to immediately launch an investigation into the incident, warning that if such practices continue unchecked, public confidence in law enforcement agencies will further deteriorate.
“I want the LDEA leadership to investigate this matter seriously. These kinds of actions make people lose trust in our security institutions,” she emphasized.
Meanwhile, efforts by Verity News to obtain an official response from the LDEA detachment in Grand Kru proved unsuccessful.
Local LDEA authorities reportedly declined to comment, stating they were not authorized to speak to the media regarding the ongoing matter.
However, sources within the county confirmed that Madam Gaysue is currently being held by LDEA officers in Grand Kru County, who have allegedly indicated plans to transfer her to Monrovia for what they term “further investigation.”
The allegations come amid growing national concern over repeated reports of extortion, harassment, and abuse of power by some law enforcement personnel stationed at checkpoints across Liberia.
Civil society organizations and human rights advocates have consistently called for stronger oversight mechanisms and accountability within the country’s security sector.
As of press time, neither the LDEA’s central command in Monrovia nor the Ministry of Justice had issued an official statement addressing Madam Gaysue’s allegations.
