Liberia, Aug. 27 -- By Rodney D. Sieh | rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

MONROVIA - Liberia is a small country with a long memory for how badly things can go wrong when institutions fail, and a short one, historically, for holding anyone accountable when they do. This summer tested both. What started as a routine-sounding customs seizure at Roberts International Airport in June has, by late August, become something else entirely: a sprawling investigation reaching a former Vice President, a network of European traffickers, and a growing list of Liberian officials whose own conduct - not just their diligence - is now part of the story.

A Small Bust That Became a Big Warning

The first sign of trouble was, by the scale of what follow...