2024 Social Media Allegations Resurface After LNP Crime Services Commissioner Relieved Amid Drug Investigation

By: Anthony Dahn

MONROVIA, Liberia – A series of allegations made more than two years ago against the Commissioner of the Liberia National Police’s Crime Services Department, Johnny Bolar Dean, have resurfaced following his recent relief from the position amid an ongoing high-profile narcotics investigation.

In April 2024, social media commentator New Zoe Prophetkey published a post accusing Dean of past misconduct, including alleged involvement in missing evidence, improper conduct during police operations, and associations with criminal suspects. The post also criticized Inspector General Gregory Coleman for appointing Dean to head the Crime Services Department despite those allegations.

At the time, the allegations circulated on social media, but there was no public indication that they had resulted in criminal convictions or official findings against Dean.

The renewed attention comes after Inspector General Coleman announced that Dean had been relieved of his duties and referred to the Professional Standards Division. According to the Inspector General, the decision was taken because Dean had become compromised in relation to the ongoing investigation into the recent seizure of suspected cocaine in Duazon, Margibi County.

Authorities have not publicly accused Dean of participating in the alleged drug trafficking operation, and no criminal charges against him have been announced. The Liberia National Police has indicated that internal investigations are continuing.

The development has prompted renewed public discussion over police vetting, accountability, and the appointment of senior officers, particularly as investigators continue to unravel what the Ministry of Justice has described as a sophisticated narcotics trafficking network operating in Liberia.