Washington – Oscar Brown, a key person of interest in last week’s US$19 million drug bust at the Roberts International Airport has reportedly gone missing. FrontPageAfrica has obtained a communication from the Liberian Embassy in Beijing, seeking information regarding his whereabouts.
By Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com
FrontPageAfrica has gathered from some participants at the conference, that at the end of the aviation seminar, Brown suddenly vanished from his peers.
FPA had previously reported that Brown, a security intelligence supervisor at the RIA was in China attending a China-sponsored aviation seminar when he called another person-of-interest, Roland Taylor, a senior security trainer, the day of the drug bust, asking Taylor to ensure that the consignment was released to board the flight after Benjamin Rivercess, another person-of-interest, refused to let it go.
Brown, FPA has learned, was due to arrive on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Wednesday. But when ETHIPIAN FLIGHT 0933 touched down at the RIA Wednesday, he was nowhere to be found.
FPA was earlier informed that Brown may have gotten off the plan in Addis but has now learned that he may still be in China.
A communication from the Liberian embassy in Beijing, in possession of FrontPageAfrica reads:
Greetings to all:
It has come to the attention of the embassy in Beijing that a short-term training participant, named Oscar John Brown, occupation: Security Manager, RIA has evaded the program organizers and is currently at large.
“Right now, he is highly being sought and would be for his entire illegal stay in China because he is a government officer who the host country/organizer doesn’t weigh lightly.”
Elchico Fawundu
Counselor, Embassy of Republic of Liberia in China
If any Liberian residing in China with the consent of Mr. Brown has agreed to host him in China, kindly do us the favor by encouraging him to return before him and you are deported.
Right now, he is highly being sought and would be for his entire illegal stay in China because he is a government officer who the host country/organizer doesn’t weigh lightly.
Therefore, the embassy encourages all its citizens residing in China to cooperate before it becomes extremely late.
Meanwhile, the RIA authorities would be contacted to investigate if he has friends and family who were residents in China before his arrival.
Please directly contact me if you have any information on his whereabouts or wellbeing.
With Sentiments, I remain,
Elchico Fawundu
Counselor
Embassy of Republic of Liberia in China
Liberia does not currently have an extradition treaty with China, but China does have strict policies that could help facilitate the return of Brown, if necessary.
While the two nations maintain diplomatic and economic relations—having resumed ties in 2003 and elevated them to a strategic partnership—they have not formally signed or ratified an extradition agreement. However, in the absence of a bilateral treaty, extraditions between the two countries are highly complex and governed entirely by domestic Liberian law. Under Liberian law, any transfer of an accused or convicted individual requires either an ad-hoc arrangement, an established principle of reciprocity, or a specific agreement for that single case. Furthermore, these transfers are subject to strict legal requirements, including dual criminality (the act must be a crime in both countries) and the condition that the individual is guaranteed fair treatment and will not face torture.
Look out for our cover story in Friday’s edition for a more indepth investigative report
