By Jamesetta D. Williams
Liberia has strongly reaction to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report which claimed that the recent suspected cocaine seizure in Margibi County is valued at US$370 million.
Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, responding to the report, insisted the official street value announced by the Government of Liberia remains US$317.68 million.
At Ministry of Information’s regular Thursday press briefing, Minister Piah said the only authorized government official responsible for communicating information on joint security operations is Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh.
According to Minister Piah, the valuation released by the Ministry of Justice is the government’s official position and should be regarded as the accurate figure. He maintained that reports suggesting a different amount are inaccurate and do not reflect the information officially released by the government.
“The street value announced by Justice Minister Oswald Tweh is the official figure,” Piah emphasized, noting that any report placing the value at US$370 million is misleading and inconsistent with the government’s verified information.
The Information Minister also called on government officials to respect the established chain of communication, urging them to refrain from commenting on matters that fall outside their assigned responsibilities or institutional mandates.
He stressed that adherence to official communication protocols is essential to ensuring consistency, accuracy, and public confidence in government information, particularly on sensitive national security issues.
The government’s official valuation follows the recent seizure of approximately 3,971 kilograms of suspected cocaine in VOA Community, Margibi County, during a joint security operation. Authorities have described the interception as one of the largest narcotics seizures in Liberia’s history and say investigations into the alleged international drug trafficking network are ongoing.
The differing valuations have generated public discussion, but the government maintains that the official street value of the seized narcotics is US$317.68 million, as announced by Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh.
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