By Bill W. Cooper
Serious drama unfolded yesterday at the House of Representatives during a public hearing of a commander of the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) when she alleged that a member of the Legislature was involved in the sale of illegal drugs in the country.
Commander Martha Massaley who is assigned at the Gardnersville Township was invited by that august body to state the name of the lawmaker who was said to be involved in the sale and transportation of illicit drugs in Liberia.
When she appeared before that body along with her bosses, Director Marcus D. Zehyoue and Lorenzo P. W. Pelham, commander Massaley started by apologizing to lawmakers for her assertion against without mentioning the name of lawmaker accused.
She told the lawmakers that her assertion made against the body was in no way intended to denigrate the Legislature instead, it was a scenario she was driving at due to an incident which occurred years back during the regime of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf when she was also quizzed by a student during a program she was invited to speak at.
The LDEA commander added, “When I was asked by the student as to why we cannot arrest lawmaker when caught in act of dealing drugs, I said we do not have the authority to arrest any members of the Liberian parliament and it was when I narrated the story and made the scenario but it was not about this body.”
Following her assertion, several lawmakers including Representatives Rustolyn Dennis, Iva Jones, Samuel Kogar, Vincent Willie, Thomas Goshua, Isaac B. Roland, Dixon Siebo and Rep. Moima Briggs Mensa all condemned the assertion by the LDEA commander thereby insisting that she be made to call the name of the alleged lawmaker in order for plenary to take disciplinary actions him/her.
According to them, the allegation made by the LDEA boss against them has not only brought that body to public ridicule locally but also international so that Commander Massaley points to the alleged lawmaker who is committing such act.
The lawmakers added, “Mr. Speaker there is needs that we go beyond this matter to ensure that we restore the sanity and dignity of this body because what has been said by this LDEA boss is something that has the propensity to derailed the high earned reputation, integrity and morale of this House including every one of us who have over years maintained and is still maintaining his/her good image.”
However, the day-long hearing ended in limbo as Speaker Bhofal Chambers was pleaded with to use his gavel to enable the DEA Commander seek medical attention on that she was seen behaving as one who was already suffocating during the hearing.
As a result of her appeal, Speaker Chambers then instructed that she be escorted by her bosses for medical attention while at the same time mandated that officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) be deployed at the medical facility and her private home.
Recently, it was reported in the news that Commander Massaley has alarmed that a member of the Legislature was involved in the sale of illicit drugs when she served as one of the panelists at a youth program marking the observance of the International Day against Drug Abuse and illicit Drugs Trafficking.