Weah Visits Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor at Prison

Former president questions government’s handling of the case after receiving a massive welcome home

By TND International Affairs Desk

MONROVIA, Liberia — September 4, 2026

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Large crowds assembled to welcome Weah and accompany him from Roberts International Airport. His supporters described the turnout as a demonstration of their continuing loyalty to the former president.

The gathering occurred amid rumors that President Joseph Boakai’s administration intended to arrest Weah upon his return. The Liberian government denied the reports, and no arrest warrant or official directive against the former president has been publicly presented.

Weah visits Howard-Taylor in prison

A day after his arrival, Weah visited his jailed former vice president, Jewel Howard-Taylor, at the Monrovia Central Prison. Senior CDC officials, party supporters and numerous Liberians accompanied him to the prison compound.

Weah and his supporters at Monrovia Central Prison

Following the visit, Weah criticized the government’s handling of Howard-Taylor’s case. He said he believed justice had been “tampered with” and described her arrest and continued detention as wrong and undemocratic.

Howard-Taylor, who served as Liberia’s vice president from 2018 to 2024, faces charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation and criminal conspiracy in connection with an alleged transnational narcotics network.

She has denied the allegations, and her lawyers maintain that the prosecution is politically motivated. The charges have not been proven in court, and she remains presumed innocent unless convicted through due process.

Weah’s return and subsequent prison visit have transformed the case into a major national political issue. The large crowds attending both events demonstrate that the proceedings could have consequences extending far beyond the courtroom, affecting public confidence, political stability and Liberia’s democratic future.