Cummings Calls for "Equal Justice" in Howard-Taylor Drug Case
Opposition leader Alexander Cummings has urged the government to prosecute the Howard-Taylor drug trafficking case impartially, warning against selective justice.
Alexander B. Cummings, leader of the Alternative National Congress, has called on Liberian authorities to ensure a "swift, transparent and impartial prosecution" of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who is facing drug trafficking charges.
Cummings visited Howard-Taylor at Monrovia Central Prison on August 30. Afterward, he said "it appears that justice is being selectively prescribed," arguing that the investigation has focused on former officials while any sitting officials allegedly linked to the same network have not faced similar scrutiny. He also said "political affiliation should not determine who is investigated, arrested or prosecuted."
Howard-Taylor was arrested on August 19 and is accused, along with several foreign nationals, of involvement in a cocaine-trafficking network. She has not been convicted, and her legal team has challenged her detention before the Supreme Court.
The case continues to draw strong reactions from across Liberia's political spectrum, including from figures aligned with both the opposition and the former ruling party.