Howard-Taylor Denies Drug Trafficking Charges, Calls Case ‘Politically Motivated Witch-Hunt’

MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberia’s former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has categorically rejected drug trafficking and related charges brought against her by the Government of Liberia, describing the case as a “politically motivated witch-hunt” and an abuse of state power. The charges, announced by the Justice Ministry this week as part of a wider investigation into an alleged transnational narcotics network, include drug trafficking, money laundering and other offenses.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, the Office of Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor said it “categorically rejects and denies, in the strongest possible terms, all charges” read against her by the Minister of Justice, insisting that the allegations are “baseless, unfounded, and without merit.” The statement stresses that Howard-Taylor “did not participate in, facilitate, finance, conceal, or knowingly associate herself with any drug-trafficking operation or criminal network,” and that she will not accept “a single word” of the accusations.

According to the Office, the confrontation with law enforcement began on 19 August at Roberts International Airport, where Howard-Taylor was stopped from boarding a flight to Accra, Ghana, where she was scheduled to deliver a keynote address. The statement says she received no prior notice that she was under investigation and no formal summons for questioning before being prevented from traveling.

The Office further alleges that authorities subsequently sought to link Howard-Taylor to individuals reportedly under investigation for transnational criminal activity, “based solely on official engagements carried out during her tenure as Vice President.” It insists that contacts and engagements undertaken in the course of performing her official duties “are not evidence of participation in anyone’s alleged crimes.”

International news agencies and Liberia’s Justice Ministry have said the case forms part of a broader probe into a suspected regional narcotics network, following the seizure of a large quantity of cocaine earlier this year. Government statements have outlined offences including the unlicensed importation, sale and transportation of controlled drugs, illicit trafficking, criminal solicitation and criminal conspiracy.

Howard-Taylor’s office also challenges how the former Vice President was handled by law enforcement on the day of the incident. The statement says that at the airport she made clear her willingness to “voluntarily report to Police Headquarters with her lawyers.” However, while traveling to meet her legal team, her vehicle was allegedly intercepted on the Congo Town back road and she was escorted to police headquarters, where charges were read in the presence of her lawyers.

“This is not how a former Vice President who has expressed her full willingness to cooperate should have been treated,” the Office asserts, suggesting that the manner of the arrest raises “serious questions about how state power is being used in Liberia today.” It argues that the timing, manner and circumstances of the case call into question whether the process represents a good-faith pursuit of justice or a political campaign to discredit and silence a prominent figure.

In one of the statement’s most serious claims, the Office says it has been “made aware of plans by elements within the government to doctor and create audio and visual recordings, using artificial intelligence, to generate fabricated evidence” against Howard-Taylor. It describes this as “an extremely serious and alarming development” that allegedly points to “the lengths to which state actors may be prepared to go to construct a false narrative.”

The Office warns that any such material will be subjected to independent forensic scrutiny and argues that the reported use of artificial intelligence to fabricate audio or video would represent a grave assault on due process. It frames these concerns within a broader warning about the potential weaponization of new technologies to influence public opinion and judicial outcomes.

Throughout the statement, Howard-Taylor’s office portrays the case as politically driven rather than evidence-based. It says the former Vice President “will not be intimidated, bullied into accepting guilt by association, or used to let legitimate law-enforcement concerns be turned into a political weapon.” It adds that she considers the matter “a politically motivated witch-hunt and an abuse of state power,” and argues that the Liberian people “deserve to know whether state institutions are being used impartially.”

The Office calls on the Government to “respect the rule of law and due process” and to allow the courts — rather than “political interests” — to determine the facts. It urges Liberians to remain calm, while emphasizing that “calm does not mean silence, and respect for the law does not mean surrendering the right to demand justice.” The statement challenges the authorities to present their evidence in court and insists that the truth should be “tested in the open.”

Howard-Taylor’s team says she intends to fully contest the allegations through legal channels. “Let there be no mistake about her response: she will fight this through the law, confront every allegation, and defend her name, record, and integrity,” the Office declares. It notes that she welcomes “a fair, transparent investigation based on evidence — not insinuation, political pressure, or manufactured narratives.”

The statement also underscores that the former Vice President “has served Liberia at the highest levels of government” and “has nothing to hide and will not run from the law,” while insisting she will not allow her name “to be dragged through the mud for political purposes.” It closes with a firm pledge: “She will stand. She will fight. And she will defend the truth,” adding that further verified information will be released as appropriate.

Jewel Howard-Taylor served as Liberia’s 30th Vice President from January 2018 to January 2024, under former President George Weah. A long-time political figure, she previously represented Bong County in the Liberian Senate and is the ex-wife of former president Charles Taylor, who is serving a prison sentence for war crimes.

Her prominence in national politics and past role at the highest levels of government have made the current case a major public-interest issue in Liberia, with observers watching closely to see how the courts and law-enforcement institutions handle the allegations in the coming weeks.