Credit: Melvin Jackson
Monrovia, Liberia – Reports that Private Bar Chief Executive Officer George Harris, also known as Leroy Harris, has been released from Monrovia Central Prison have been refuted by the Ministry of Justice’s Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR). Assistant Minister for Rehabilitation, Atty. Gabriel F. Ndupellar, said Harris remains in custody and has been incarcerated since he was forwarded to the Monrovia City Court for preliminary proceedings.
Harris was reportedly represented by Cllr. Lafayette Gould during his initial court appearance before being committed to the Monrovia Central Prison. He is one of numerous people under investigation in relation to the June 8, 2026, seizure at Roberts International Airport of over 237.6 kilograms of suspected cocaine, valued at roughly US$19.2 million.
According to reports, investigators have connected Harris to accusations of illegal drug possession, money laundering, drug trafficking, economic sabotage, criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation, and criminal solicitation. Harris is assumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, and the accusations are still up for judicial decision.
Reports of his alleged release, which had sparked concerns about the state of the larger cocaine investigation, coincided with the BCR’s explanation. According to the Ministry of Justice, Harris has not been freed and is still being held at the Monrovia Central Prison while the investigation and legal actions are ongoing.
