-Pres. Boakai suspends AB Kromah, and two deputies
President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., has, with immediate effect, suspended, without pay, pending investigation, the Director General, Mr. Abraham S. Kromah, Deputy Director General for Administration, Mr. Gbawou Kowou, and the Deputy Director General for Operations, Mr. Hassan Fadiga of the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA)
The President has in the meantime ordered an investigation of the events occurring at the Agency on June 3, 2024. He said, “The acts of disorder and chaos that took place at the headquarters of the LDEA were unacceptable.” Such acts, the President continued, threaten public peace and undermine the Government’s fight against illicit drugs.
In the interim, the President has named Mr. Christopher Peters, as Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Agency pending the conclusion of the investigation. Peters is a well-trained security personnel and comes highly recommended.
On Monday, a violent altercation erupted between Mr. Kromahand Fadiga, leading to the prompt intervention of Gregory Coleman, the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, before the situation was brought under control.
Addressing a press conference after the altercation, Kromahadmitted the unhealthy relationship with his deputies and called for a meeting with the President to find a solution. “The mixture is not a good mixture. Basically, we have to sit down with the leader to see if we can find a way out of this quagmire because Liberians are dying, kids are dying. We have to find a way to protect them and support them,” he said.
He added, “The director of Police had to come because I called him up. I called him because Fadiga was brandishing a weapon and we had to disarm him. We took the gun from him, and Gbawou Kowou left and went to his office.”
Kromah mentioned that after his appointment, President Boakaigave him the leverage to recommend those he trusted and found capable to serve as his principal deputies. He then recommended Fadiga and Kowou. However, it now appears that his recommendations were wrong.
Attempts to reach Fadiga and Kowou did not materialize. FrontPageAfrica gathered that they were taken to the police headquarters by Inspector General Coleman. When contacted, Police Spokesperson Cecelia Clarke did not respond in time for publication.
