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Claim: A senatorial candidate in Montserrado County on the ticket of the main opposition Unity Party (UP), Wilmot Paye, claimed, “Liberia is the number one drug trafficking point in West Africa.”
Verdict: False! Guinea Bissau remains the leading drug trafficking point in West Africa, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Africa Organised Crime Index.
Full Text
Politicians have taken their allegations and counter-allegations a notch higher as campaigns get underway ahead of Liberia’s Oct. 10 presidential and legislative elections.
In a live interview with several media outlets in Monrovia, Wilmot Paye alleged, “Liberia is the number one point for drug trafficking in West Africa, taking over from Guinea Bissau.”
The interview was carried live on the official Facebook page of DN-News Liberia, with over 50 comments, 3.2k views, and more than 60 emojis.
Mr Paye made the allegation at 11:50 minutes/seconds of the over one-hour interview.
He further stated that the amount of drugs the Weah-led administration allegedly imported into the country is unprecedented in the history of Liberia.
The Unity Party Montserrado County Senatorial candidate’s claim comes in the wake of an alleged discovery of drugs at the country’s only international airport, the Robert International Airport.
It can also be recalled that in October 2022, the Liberian government, in collaboration with its international partners, seized a huge consignment of drugs worth over US$100m.
Following the seizure, several persons, including some foreign nationals, were arrested and prosecuted, but the Liberian government lost the case, thus setting those arrested free.
Verification
DUBAWA finds it important to ascertain Mr Paye’s assertion because it can potentially destroy the country’s reputation.
To begin with, DUBAWA contacted the claimant on WhatsApp to request the source or evidence of his claim, but he has yet to respond.
Below is a screenshot from the WhatsApp conversation between DUBAWA and Mr Paye.
DUBAWA then started an investigation to ascertain the facts about the claim. The researcher discovered that in the 2021 Africa Organised Crime Index report, Guinea Bissau is reported as the number one point in Africa and West Africa for the trafficking of drugs. The 2021 report remains current, with the 2023 report expected to be made public later this year.
Also, according to a report issued between 2019 and 2021 by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, Guinea Bissau and its neighbouring countries were highlighted as number one in West Africa and Africa.
In an interview with the head of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), Marcus Zehyoue told DUBAWA that the claim made by the Montserrado County senatorial candidate cannot be accurate.
Mr Zehyoue attributed the claim to what he called a political statement only intended to tarnish the hard-earned credentials of the CDC-led administration by the opposition community.
“My brother, we are in the political season, so we should expect all these from these people. I challenge anyone to pull out that report that ranks Liberia as the number one point for trafficking illicit drugs within the sub-region. The last time I checked, I know that Guinea Bissau still sits at the number one spot,” the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency boss told DUBAWA.
Mr Zehyoue would not point to specific documents to debunk the claim except to say that it is because of the war the LDEA continues to wage against drugs that have largely protected Liberia’s borders from illicit drugs. He said through collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United States Embassy in Liberia, the LDEA was able to acquire testing kits intended to test illicit substances entering the country and to help keep the country safe from illegal drugs.
Mr Zehyoue indicated that the enactment of the new drug law by the Liberian legislature has, to some extent, increased the fight against drugs in the country, thereby making drug offences non-bailable. According to him, in the past, once a drug suspect was arrested, their lawyer would be there to bail out the suspect.
Conclusion
Based on the entire search conducted by DUBAWA, Mr Paye’s assertion that Liberia has taken over from Guinea Bissau as the number one drug point in West Africa is False.
