By ManoReporters Staff Writer
The three most senior officials in the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) have been suspended amid reports of an infighting among them.
Mr Abraham S. Kromah, Director General of the agency, Mr. Gbawou Kowou, Deputy Director General for Administration, and Mr. Hassan Fadiga, Deputy Director General for Operations, were all suspended without pay, a statement from the presidency said on Tuesday.
The statement signed by Anthony V. Kesselly, deputy minister of state for public affairs, indicated that President Joseph Boakai sanctioned the suspension of the men following a day of chaos at the headquarters of the agency on Monday, 3rd June.
The men are reported to have been involved in a disagreement, involving accusations and counteraccusations of corruption and nepotism, which sometimes led to lawlessness.
According to local media reports, Director General Kromah is accused by his two deputies of corruption and nepotism, while he in turn accuse them of insubordination.
But the chaos on Monday reportedly occurred following a fist fight between Mr Kromah and Mr Fadiga, leading to an all-out battle involving their loyalist in the office. It took the intervention of the head of the Liberian National Police and a team of officers, to bring order to the facility.
The Liberian president in the statement announcing the suspensions also ordered an investigation into the whole issue.
President Joseph Boakai was quoted saying that “the acts of disorder and chaos that took place at the headquarters of the LDEA were unacceptable,” noting that they threatened public peace and undermine Government’s fight against illicit drugs.
The statement added that all three men would not receive any salary pending the investigation.
Meanwhile, Mr. Christopher Peters, a security personnel, was named Officer in Charge of the agency until the conclusion of the investigation.
The incident comes as Liberia battles an epidemic of the synthetic drug called Kush, which is ravaging the country’s youths.
