MONROVIA, Liberia – Former President George Manneh Weah has condemned the government’s reported detention and travel restriction of former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, accusing the Boakai administration of using state power to target political opponents and undermine Liberia’s democratic institutions.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Weah described Taylor as the latest victim of what he called the administration’s “rising authoritarian tendencies,” alleging that she was prevented from traveling without prior notice, harassed and detained in violation of her constitutional right to freedom of movement.
Weah said he had spoken with the former vice president following the incident and that she had “vehemently, strenuously and categorically” denied the allegations made against her by the government.
The former president criticized Justice Minister Oswald Tweh for publicly outlining allegations against Taylor without presenting what Weah described as sufficient evidence or explaining how the accusations were reached.
While reiterating his support for lawful efforts to combat Liberia’s drug crisis, Weah argued that the government’s investigation was being politicized.
“We support all legal and judicious efforts to rid Liberia of the current drug epidemic, but we condemn attempts to use this crisis to score political points,” he said.
Weah further noted that two major cocaine seizures, valued at nearly half a billion U.S. dollars, occurred after his administration had peacefully transferred power to President Joseph Boakai. He accused the government of attempting to link the drug cases to the former CDC administration while failing to adequately pursue current officials allegedly connected to the investigations.
The former president also disclosed that he has been engaging regional and continental leaders to raise concerns over what he described as the erosion of the rule of law and democratic governance in Liberia, warning that such developments pose a threat to the country’s peace and security.
He announced that he intends to return to Liberia following those consultations to mobilize the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and its supporters.
“I shall return to Liberia to rally the CDC, along with all well-meaning Liberians, to resist this tyrannical attempt to trample upon our burgeoning democracy, using all political and legal means guaranteed to us under our Constitution,” Weah said.
The government has not publicly responded to Weah’s statement. The allegations against Taylor remain under investigation.
