Judicial Complex, Cestos City, Rivercess County – Under mounting media and public scrutiny, Rivercess County Attorney Martin M. Tumoe has pledged to re-arrest Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) officer Aaron Blayee, who was previously released after being caught with a large quantity of illegal drugs.
Blayee was arrested on November 21, 2024, at the Nimba Junction checkpoint in Rivercess County while allegedly transporting narcotics valued at approximately US$4,800. He was formally charged and forwarded to the Cestos City Magisterial Court.
However, despite the severity of the charge, Blayee was quietly released on what County Attorney Tumoe described as “medical own recognizance”—a conditional bond—due to reported health complications. Tumoe stated that Blayee’s medical condition at the time required urgent attention and family care.
In an interview with Verity Rivercess, Tumoe explained that a lack of defense counsel during both the November 2024 and February 2025 court terms further contributed to delays in Blayee’s prosecution. “The absence of legal representation stalled the case, and considering his health, we had no option but to grant a conditional release,” he said.
But media revelations have since raised alarm over Blayee’s whereabouts. A source told Verity Rivercess she spotted the alleged drug trafficker last week at Barnesville Junction in Monrovia. Another confirmed seeing him at ELWA Junction in Montserrado County, creating doubt on whether he remains under medical care or court supervision.
These reports have fueled public concern over accountability and fairness in the justice system, especially as other drug suspects have faced swift prosecution. Most recently, on June 3, 2025, the court sentenced Prince Sei to five years in prison for illegal drug distribution. Sei had been arrested just a month earlier on May 7, 2025. In response to the growing outcry, Attorney Tumoe has now committed to returning Blayee to Rivercess “on or before the May Term of Court” to stand trial. “He will be brought back,” Tumoe assured, adding that justice will be pursued without fear or favor.
