Criminal Court ‘C’Judge has ordered the rearrest of Jewel Howard Taylor, former security and aviation officials, and several Liberians and foreign nationals.
Their arrest order followed the return of a sweeping Grand Jury indictment in the drug-related offenses, illicit trafficking, money laundering and other crimes.
Assigned Circuit Judge Ousman F. Feika issued the writ of arrest on Wednesday, October 7, directing the Montserrado County Sheriff, or his deputy to take the named defendants into custody and bring them before the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court ‘C’ to answer to the allegations contained in the indictment.
Among those named in the court document are the former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor; former National Security Agency Deputy Director for Administration, Gerald Foley Smith; former Deputy Director for Operations of the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority, Mark Quiah; and a number of other Liberians and foreign nationals.
The indictment identifies the defendants as facing serious criminal allegations, including unlicensed possession, importation and exportation of controlled drugs or substances; illicit trafficking; criminal conspiracy; criminal facilitation; criminal solicitation; money laundering; and offenses involving physical objects allegedly intended for lethal use.
The case also alleges offenses involving the unlicensed sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, dispatch in transit and transportation of controlled drugs or substances.
The breadth of the indictment places the case among the more consequential criminal proceedings now before Liberia’s courts, given the identities of some of the accused and the range of allegations contained in the charging document.
In the writ, Judge Feika directs the Montserrado County Sheriff to arrest the defendants and bring them before Criminal Court “C” to answer to the charges.
The court’s order states that the arrests are being undertaken pursuant to an indictment prepared by the Montserrado County Grand Jury, which the writ describes as having been duly selected, empaneled and sworn to inquire into matters affecting the people of Montserrado County.
The writ commands the sheriff to “Arrest the living bodies of the above named defendants” and thereafter bring them before the court.
The sheriff is further required to make an official return to the court indicating the manner and form in which the writ was served.
The document was issued under the seal of Criminal Court “C” and signed on October 7 by J. Amos F. Gbowah, Clerk of Court.
The inclusion of former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor gives the case an immediate political and public-interest dimension.
Taylor served as Liberia’s Vice President from 2018 to 2024 and is now among the individuals named in the indictment before Criminal Court “C.”
However, the court document reviewed by FrontPageAfrica does not, in the writ itself, set out the specific factual allegations or alleged conduct attributable to each individual defendant.
The writ establishes that the defendants have been named in an indictment and that the court has ordered their arrest. It does not, by itself, establish that any particular defendant committed any of the offenses alleged.
The specific evidence and factual basis underlying the allegations would ordinarily become matters for subsequent proceedings before the court.
The charges listed in the indictment span several categories of alleged criminal conduct.
They include offenses relating to controlled substances, alleged trafficking and transportation, as well as conspiracy, facilitation and solicitation.
The indictment also includes a money-laundering allegation and offenses involving physical objects allegedly connected to lethal use.
The presence of foreign nationals among the accused adds an international dimension to the proceedings, although the writ does not, on its face, provide details concerning the alleged roles of each foreign defendant or whether any alleged conduct occurred outside Liberia.
Those questions are likely to become important as the case moves forward.
The defendants named in the writ include Nikola Ivancic, also identified as Nikolas Ivancic; Taras Zadereiko, also known as Tony; Mihovil Vrovac, also identified as Michael; Srdan Seles; Johnn David Garces; Sheik Bashiru Kante; Gerald Foley Smith; Edison M. Brown; Mohammed Alpha Bah; Jammel V. Jallah; Christian L. Nyantee; Christopher Saryeecee; Cayce L. Nelson; DCP Anthony T. Blaye; ACP Wadell W. Kwarbo; Albenigo Janior; Jewel Howard Taylor; Mark Quiah; and others identified in the indictment.
The writ also names individuals identified by first names or aliases, including “Sekou” and “Nana,” with the document stating that others are yet to be identified..
