Monrovia – Unity Party Secretary General Amos Tweh on the Tuesday, September 19, 2023 edition of the OK Morning Rush on OK FM claimed that President George Weah’s Chief of protocol, Nora Finda Bondoo is responsible for the recent drugs that were confiscated at the Roberts International Airport (RIA).
Claim: “We saw kush coming from the RIA, imported by the chief of protocol to the president of Liberia, Nora Finda Bundoo”.
Verdict: Unproven
The Evidence
The Claim
Mr. Tweh, at the 1:56 hour timestamp in this video, alleged: “On the 7th of September, this government, when they were parading, they have a specific group of people that said they want kush. Two days later we saw kush coming from the RIA, imported by the chief of protocol to the president of Liberia, Nora Finda Bundoo”.
The Evidence
To authenticate this claim, we reviewed several news articles and releases from government agencies but did not see any publicly available information about the involvement of the Chief of Protocol of the President in the recent drugs burst at the RIA.
On September 12, 2023, the Ministry of Justice through the Joint Security of Liberia confirmed that the consignment of boxes it intercepted at the Roberts International Airport reveal a presence of methamphetamine.
Also, article by the FrontPage Africa Newspaper on September 15, 2023, reveals that Stephen S. Daniels, an employee of the Ministry of Post & Telecommunications, was identified as the consignee who flew the drugs into Liberia via Kenya Airways on August 31.
The air waybill for the consignment, according to FrontPageAfrica “shows Daniels as the consignee and the consignment was described as “dry khat” – a form of drug”
This article also revealed that “the suspended Director of Security at Roberts International Airport, Samuel Freeman, and the Cargo Officer at Jos Travel, Sam Saryon (who is not the NSA Deputy Director), are prime suspects in a drug-related incident”
Both individuals, according to the local daily “are now sought after by the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency on charges of alleged drug trafficking”.
Conclusion
Based on our search, we conclude that the claim made by the Unity Party Secretary General that President Weah Chief of Protocol, Nora Finda Bundoo imported the recent drugs confiscated at the Roberts International Airport is unproven.
There is no publically available evidence that Bundoo imported the drugs to Liberia. According to the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the consignee of the drugs is Stephen S. Daniels, an employee of the Ministry of Post & Telecommunications, who flew the drugs into Liberia via Kenya Airways on August 31.
Local Voices Liberia, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, has implemented the iVerify Liberia system with the objective of strengthening capacities to address threats to information integrity, especially in view of the upcoming 2023 elections, to ensure all Liberian citizens have access to credible, reliable and verified information, everywhere and at all times.
This initiative is funded by Irish Aid, Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia, European Union Delegation in Liberia and the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. The donors have no say in the production of this fact check report.
