Liberia’s justice system was rocked on Saturday, August 1, 2026, when the Deputy Superintendent for Operations of the Monrovia Central Prison, Jackson K. Kolako, was arrested in dramatic fashion while on duty at South Beach Prison.
Agents of the National Security Agency (NSA) stormed the facility at 2:44 p.m., detaining Kolako on allegations that he aided and abetted a notorious Colombian drug cartel. According to verified reports obtained by Verity News, Kolako allegedly used his personal telephone to facilitate communications between cartel operatives and their overseas and local partners, effectively turning Liberia’s most secure prison into a communications hub for organized crime.
Even more damning, investigators say Kolako’s mobile money account revealed multiple cash transfers traced directly to the cartel, suggesting deep financial entanglement. The revelations have sent shockwaves through the correctional system, raising urgent questions about corruption, oversight, and the vulnerability of national institutions to transnational crime.
Kolako, once entrusted with safeguarding South Beach Prison, now finds himself behind bars at the Central Police Station on Capitol Hill. His arrest has ignited fierce debate over accountability within Liberia’s justice sector, with analysts warning that the scandal underscores the growing influence of international drug networks across West Africa.
