Charles Taylor's Ex-Wife Charged Over Drug Smuggling and Money Laundering Offences
- Liberia's Justice Ministry announced charges against former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, linking her to an alleged transnational narcotics network
- Howard-Taylor, who served as vice president from 2018 to 2024, was intercepted at Roberts International Airport as she attempted to leave the country
- Three foreign nationals were also charged in absentia for their alleged roles in the same network
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
Liberia has filed criminal charges against former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor in connection with an alleged transnational drug network, the country's Justice Ministry announced on Wednesday.
Howard-Taylor, who held the office of vice president between 2018 and 2024, was stopped at Roberts International Airport before she could board a flight out of the country.
Source: Getty Images
The Associated Press reported that she was subsequently taken to Liberia National Police headquarters following her detention.
The former vice president faces a sweeping list of charges, including unlicensed importation, sale, distribution and transportation of controlled substances, drug smuggling, criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
Howard-Taylor is also known as the former wife of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor, who was convicted by an international war crimes tribunal for sponsoring atrocities committed during Sierra Leone's civil war.
Three Foreigners Charged in Absentia
Alongside Howard-Taylor, Liberian authorities charged three foreign nationals for their alleged involvement in the same network: Croatians Nikolai Ivancic and Mihovil Vrovac, and Ukrainian Tara Zaderieko.
All three were charged in absentia, and the government said it would pursue measures to locate and apprehend them.
The charges come weeks after Liberia announced its largest-ever drug seizure with an estimated street value of approximately $336 million.
That operation implicated senior police officials, though authorities confirmed the two cases are unrelated.
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Source: YEN.com.gh
Delali Adogla-Bessa (Head of Current Affairs and Politics Desk) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.
The Associated Press (The Associated Press) The Associated Press (AP) is a not-for-profit news agency. The AP operates approximately 240 news bureaus across nearly 100 countries, producing content in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
