The dismissal of Johnny Bolar Dean, Chief of Intelligence, or Unit 106 of the Liberia National Police (LNP), over a reported US$10,000 bribe has raised a far more question than the fate of a police officer.
Was Dean all by himself received the bribe, or was his case the first visible sign of a much wider corruption network linked to the ongoing narcotics investigations?
Police Inspector General (IG) Gregory Coleman, announced recently that Dean had been relieved of his duties after he accepted US$10,000 from two suspected drug traffickers detained at Police Headquarters in Monrovia.
According to Greg, Dean admitted receiving the money in exchange for “favorable treatment, and attempted compromise investigation.”
But new allegations have circulated within police circles, which now raised questions about what happened to the money after it was received?
Sources claiming knowledge of the matter allege that Dean did not retain the entire US$10,000, and may have turned over a portion to a superior officer.
The same sources further that Dean personally received only about US$2,000.
LNP have not publicly substantiated these claims, and no senior police officer has been officially accused of receiving any portion of the purported payment.
However, if the allegations are proven, the case could expand beyond one dismissed intelligence officer.
The central question now confronting investigators is simple, but politically sensitive, who else, if anyone, knew about the payment, authorized any attempted interference, or benefited from the money?
The controversy has also fueled speculation that other police officers, senior government officials, and lawmakers could eventually come under scrutiny.
Such claims remain unverified, but their circulation reflects growing public concern that the US$10,000 payment may not have been an isolated act involving only Dean.
The stakes are even higher, because the allegations emerge amid the largest, and most controversial narcotics investigations in recent history.
The massive cocaine seizure in Duazon, Margibi County, has already triggered questions about the handling of suspects, the security of seized narcotics, the movement of sensitive information, and the possibility of interference by individuals with access to the investigation.
For many, the removal of Dean therefore, does not answer the bigger question.
If the alleged bribe was intended to secure favorable treatment for suspected drug traffickers, the public wants to know whether the money was offered to one individual, or whether it was part of an effort to influence the investigation.
Meanwhile, the seized narcotics substances were burned on Thursday, July 30, outside Monrovia in the presence of state actors, including journalists.
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