MONROVIA–After several nights under medical care at Gomes Institute of Medical Sciences in Congo Town, former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor spent her first night behind bars at the Monrovia Central Prison, commonly known as South Beach.
The move from hospital bed to prison cell came Tuesday after a Monrovia City Court judge denied a defense request for compassionate detention, paving the way for the state to formally process her on a 7-count indictment tied to an alleged transnational cocaine trafficking network.
Giving the ruling on Tuesday, Judge Ben Barco said the judiciary could not grant such request because it falls within the jurisdiction of the Executive, the minister of Justice.
Last week, Madam Taylor was rushed to the Gómes Institute of Medical Science, GOMIS Hospital, in Sophie Community, Congo Town, last week after suffering complications of asthma and high blood pressure while in detention at the Liberia National Police Headquarters.
She spent few nights there under guard as her lawyers argued her health made her unfit for prison.
Medical staff at GOMIS said she was stable but required continued monitoring.
On Tuesday, court officials, accompanied by state security, executed the judge’s order and transferred her from GOMIS to South Beach. The transfer was done under tight security, with prison authorities confirming she was booked and placed in the facility’s general detention area.
The Joint Special Investigation Team, JSIT, formally charged Madam Taylor in connection with what prosecutors describe as a transnational cocaine network operating through Liberia.
According to the indictment filed before the Monrovia City Court, investigators alleged Madam Howard-Taylor received a total of US$135,000 from individuals linked to the cartel, including US$45,000 allegedly received during a trip to Dubai, US$75,000 allegedly channeled through Sheikh Bashiru Kante for her Jewel Star Fish Foundation, and US$15,000 allegedly received in August 2026.
The charges against her include Illicit trafficking of controlled substancesImportation of controlled substances, exportation of controlled substances, criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation, criminal solicitation, money laundering and aiding the consummation of a crime.
The state says the case is supported by travel records, audio recordings, witness testimonies, and evidence of her alleged association with members of the network.
Three foreign nationals were also named in the indictment and charged in absentia.
Her legal team filed a motion asking the court to allow her to remain at GOMIS under guard, citing her medical condition and status as a former Vice President.The court denied the request.
In its ruling, the judge held that the seriousness of the charges and the need to ensure her presence for trial outweighed the request for alternative detention.
The defense was told it could refile with updated medical reports. Following the ruling, Madam Taylor was immediately moved to Monrovia Central Prison where authorities said she underwent standard intake procedures.
The former Vice President was arrested on August 19 en route to the Roberts International Airport (RIA) and subsequently taken to the LNP Headquarters where she was questioned by JSIT and subquently charged.
In a statement few days after Madam Taylor arrest, the National Patriotic Party (NPP) where she is the Standard Bearer, called for due process and respect for her health and dignity, while Party Chairman, Atty. George S. Mulbah urged supporters to remain peaceful.
Reading the slew of charges against the former Vice President, Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh said the prosecution will proceed “without fear or favor” and that the case is part of the Boakai administration’s broader crackdown on drug trafficking.
Legal observers note that under Liberian law, Madam Taylor remains presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
With her remand to South Beach, the focus now shifts to pre-trial hearings. The defense is expected to challenge the evidence and may file another motion for bail or medical release.
For a woman who once occupied the country’s second-highest office, the path from GOMIS Hospital to a prison cell marks a dramatic turn, political analysts said.
And whether it becomes a temporary setback or the end of her political career will now be decided inside the courtroom, they wondered.
Her Office issued a statement last week, strongly denying drug-trafficking and related allegations filed against her by the government, describing the case as a politically motivated effort to damage her reputation and misuse state institutions.
In a statement released Saturday, Howard-Taylor’s Office said the former vice president “categorically rejects and denies, in the strongest possible terms” the allegations and maintains that the charges are baseless and without merit.
The statement said the case began on August 19, when Howard-Taylor was stopped at Roberts International Airport while attempting to travel to Accra, Ghana, where she was scheduled to deliver a keynote address.
According to the Office, Howard-Taylor had received no prior notification that she was under investigation and had not been summoned for questioning before being stopped at the airport.
The Office said it subsequently learned that investigators were attempting to establish links between Howard-Taylor and individuals reportedly being investigated for transnational criminal activities.
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