Evading Taxes, Miners Leave Behind Death Traps and Polluted River

April 30, 2026

Drone shot of Golden Trip's mine in Kpeteyea — A drone shot of Golden Trip's mine in Kpeteyea, Lofa County.

Top: A drone shot of Golden Trip Group Limited’s abandoned mine in the Kpeteyea town of Salayea District, Lofa County. The DayLight/Samuel Jabba

By T. Prince Mulbah, special for The DayLight

KPETEYEA, Lofa County – One day in May 2020, Chief Anthony Flomo joined townspeople to sign an MoU with a mining company. The five-year deal required Golden Trip Group Limited to pay Kpeteyea—a town in the Gbalin Clan of Salayea District—US$900 monthly, pave a major road with concrete bridges, and provide scholarships.

For the first time, the people of Kpeteyea felt their nightmare of bad roads, a lack of high school graduates and unsafe drinking water was over.

But what Chief Flomo and the townspeople did not know was that Golden Trip had issues. Between the signing and when the community’s realization, Golden Trip had dug several giant-sized pits, polluted watercourses, allegedly owed the community benefits, and evaded a substantial amount of taxes.

“Golden Trip really surprised me, because when they entered Kpeteyea, I thought it was a new day for us…,” said Chief Flomo, sitting under a tree where the Gold Trip MoU was signed.

“We thought the young people of this town were going to get good jobs, our children were going to sit in modern classrooms with safe drinking water,” he added.

Unauthorized mining

Golden Trip was established in April 2018 and is owned by Chein Haibin (75 percent), a Chinese national, and Randy Scott (25 percent), a Liberian businessperson, according to the company’s articles of incorporation.

compressed MG 8583 — Wildcat miners at Golden Trip’s gold mine in Kpeteyea. Reporters counted over 30 water pump machines at the site. The DayLight/Samuel Jabba

In February 2020, it applied for a class ‘B’ or a medium-scale mining license on 98.3 acres in the Salayea District. Its application was approved three months later. However, the Ministry of Mines placed it under review in 2024 and has remained that way ever since.

Locals only discovered this information when Scott, Golden Trip’s Liberian co-owner, allegedly refused to present its documents. They had become suspicious after several companies claimed the same gold mine as Golden Trip, among other things.

Their suspicion pushed Arthur Quiah, then-Salayea District’s Mining Agent, to investigate. Quiah, a mines ministry representative in the region, established that Golden Trip’s particulars were incomplete and shut down its operations.

“I closed them because their document had expired and they did not have a current document. Their document was not proper, and the false one that I took from them… expired,” Quiah told the DayLight in a telephone interview. Quiah, who has now been replaced, presented no evidence.

Also, it is unclear whether the Ministry of Mines took any action against Golden Trip for its illegal activities, though operating without a valid mining license violates the Minerals and Mining Law, which carries a fine, a prison term, or both for convicted offenders.

Randy Scott, Golden Trip’s minority shareholder, denies Quiah’s accusation. Scott, questioning Quiah’s employment status with the ministry, said Quiah was unaware of the situation.

“How will he close me down when the Ministry of Mines is still sending me communications?” Scott, who has been linked to several mining companies, quipped. “Arthur Quiah lied.”

Meanwhile, the people of Kpeteyea have seized Golden Trip’s properties until it pays all debts it allegedly owes the community. Golden Trip owes Kpeteyea US$8,100 in monthly dues, two hand pumps, a guesthouse, three bridges, and the renovation of a school building, among others, according to Chief Flomo.

compressed DJI 0159 — A drone shot of Kpeteyea Town in Salayea District, Lofa County. The DayLight/Samuel Jabba

“I swear these people lied to us, but thank God their materials are still here. If they cannot pay our US$8,100, and implement the projects we agreed on in the MoU, nobody will take any machine from here,” said Chief Flomo.

Scott denies being indebted to Kpeteyea, dubbing the town’s claim as “nonsense.” He, who had said last year he would resume work this year, now said he had moved from the area.

“Let them take [the equipment],” he told The DayLight in a phone interview. “The government issued the license to different persons; I don’t have [anything] to do over there again.” There is no record of the new company Scott mentioned.

Bogeyman holes

Reporters documented Golden Trip’s mining footprints in Kpeteyea. There were huge, open mining pits locally known as bogeyman holes for being death-traps. There were traces of muddy water running into the Wainda River from mining activities. There was a network of pipes meant to channel water from the rover, which flows into the St. Paul River, and is used by locals for drinking.

Chief Flomo told the DayLight that farmers discovered dead fish floating on the river and the riverbank. It has been polluted with chemicals.

“People were complaining that they had lots of dead fish in the water, but we were really confused about who did the act. Actually, we never discovered what killed the fish, so we advised the citizens not to use the water,” added Flomo. A group of wildcat miners from faraway and near, digging the open pits, confirmed the townspeople’s story.

Scott squashed those claims as a “lazy argument” from the people of Kpeteyea. He claims that the pipes in the river were used to fetch water to his camp.

“Look, mercury? That is a lazy argument. My company was working in the place, and we needed water, which is why you saw pipes in the river. Besides, if fish were dying, then I don’t know why,” added Scott.

The DayLight could not independently verify that claim. However, locals’ descriptions of the alleged pollution are consistent with cyanide poisoning, since mercury kills fish gradually through long-term exposure.

Scott also denies Golden Trip left behind bogeyman holes, a common cause of mine collapses nationwide, including one of the deadliest in River Cess two years ago.

compressed DJI 0165 — In 2024, the Ministry of Mines and Energy shut down Golden Trip’s operations, four years after it was awarded. The DayLight/Samuel Jabba

“I never dug in pits. I dug in a mountain,” said Scott. “I never worked on a low ground. You can’t cover the mountain. Who can cover a mountain? Is a mountain a hole?”

The mining law does not support Scott’s claims. The law requires a company to restore the land or watercourse to its previous state. It does not provide an exception for montane or flat areas.

No work permit

It is unclear how much gold Golden Trip produced, as the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s records show the company did not export any minerals.

Scott corroborated that information, claiming Golden Trip did not find gold in Kpeteyea. “If I were getting minerals, would I leave from there?” He asked rhetorically.

It was the third reason Scott provided for Golden Trip’s inactivity in Kpeteyea. He had first blamed the local community and later “human errors” on his license.

But the scale of Golden Trip’s operations and the interviews with townspeople tell a different story. Chinese and Liberian workers dug huge pits and piled up gravel in their search for tiny gold nuggets. Four Chinese teams mined the area in Golden Trip’s name. Company executives made frequent trips in the north-western countryside day and night, said Charles Vesselee, a Kpeteyea youth.

“What do you mean? Randy Scott Golden Trip company never took gold from here?” He reacted to The DayLight’s findings. “That’s not true. Then why are trucks and Land Cruiser cars moving day and night? I beg you yaaa! Those guys carried minerals from here,” said Vesselee.

The mystery surrounding Golden Trip’s production is not the only issue. Turns out, none of the 16 foreign workers it brought into Liberia between 2021 and 2023 obtained work permits, according to official records. The Ministry of Labor confirmed this, except for one Zing Wei.

Also, the records establish that the workers obtained a resident permit. However, only four workers’ statuses were renewed. For instance, the residential status of Guangxian Li, a Chinese national who arrived in Liberia at some point, was renewed in 2023 after being skipped in 2022.

Similarly, the one for Hang Lu, another Chinese, who arrived in 2021, was only renewed in 2023. The Liberia Immigration Service said it did not have a record for any of the 16 workers.

MG 8564 — An illegal miner starts a water pump machine at Golden Trip’s mine in Kpeteyea, Lofa County. The DayLight/Samuel Jabba

The DayLight reviewed Gold Trip’s tax history and found that it failed to renew its license from 2021 until it was shut down in 2024. There was no payment for an environmental permit, a requirement for medium-scale mining.

Based on those findings, Golden Trip evaded tens of thousands of United States dollars in license fees, work, and resident permits, according to official records and fee structures.

The DayLight noted one more irregularity with Golden Trip, though. Official records show that Mr. Chein, the company’s majority shareholder, does not reside or work in Liberia.

Scott confirmed that Mr. Chein did not live or work in Liberia. However, he claims his Chinese business partner is not required to do so.

But that claim is incorrect. The mining law requires that a non-Liberian who holds up to 60 percent shares in a company with a medium-scale license be legally permitted to live and work in Liberia. The license empowers Liberian businesspersons to boost the country’s economy.

This content is produced by The DayLight with support from the Embassy of Ireland through Integrity Watch Liberia. The DayLight maintained editorial independence over its content, which does not reflect the position of the Embassy of Ireland or Integrity Watch Liberia.

Liberia Fails to Report US$2.7B Mining Exports, Study Finds

April 7, 2026

Top: A drone shot of a zircon sand mine in Greenville, Sinoe County, in 2023. The DayLight/Derick Snyder

By Varney Kamara

MONROVIA – Liberia’s mining sector failed to report US$2.7 billion in gold and iron ore exports between 2007 and 2023, likely due to underreporting and/or smuggling, a new report found.

The US-based Forest Trends found that Liberia reported US$5.1 billion from mining exports over the 16 years. However, researchers established that importing countries reported US$7.8 billion from Liberia, resulting in the US$2.7 billion discrepancy.

“The scale of the problem is massive,” said Arthur Blundell, one of the report’s co-authors. “There is no reason to believe that what the government reported was a mistake because Liberian sources agree with the numbers.”

The report—”A Rapid Assessment of Liberia’s Mining Sector…”—determined that underreporting of export commodities and smuggling were the potential reasons for the revenue loss. Moreover, there are strong indications that the country could be giving away valuable revenue at a staggering rate. For instance, Liberia’s sales of rough diamonds and iron ore fell below the international benchmark during the reporting period.

Weak enforcement likely enabled underreporting, smuggling, and tax evasion, as well as environmental violations, costing hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

The report recommends that the government halt illegal mining, improve trade oversight, protect ecologically critical areas, ensure transparency, uphold community rights, and enforce companies’ legal obligations fully.

The report utilized legal review, trade data, and geospatial analysis. Data used in the study were collected from various government agencies, including the Ministry of Mines & Energy, Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Central Bank of Liberia, Liberia Revenue Authority, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers analyzed Liberia’s minerals exported to Switzerland, the EU, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and other countries.

A mine in Vaguay, Grand Cape Mount County, in 2020. Picture credit: James Harding Giahyue

Overall, the report found that it was impossible to calculate all losses due to a lack of transparency in the reporting process, as there were likely losses from unpaid import fees and withholding taxes, social security payments, surface rental, license fees, etc.

The Ministry of Mines did not return queries for comment on the report’s findings.

Community benefits and the environment

The report also established that unfulfilled promises, human rights abuses, and environmental damage, among other things, hinder the mining sector, which accounts for a fifth of Liberia’s GDP, while dominating exports and generating a significant share of government revenue despite the losses.

Mining impacts across communities have been staggering, the report found. The study revealed that communities were not benefiting from their natural resources. It shows companies are not complying with their legal obligations to communities.

There is no official reporting on whether mining companies are paying two percent of their exploration budget on local health and education, as required by the mineral exploration regulation, nor is there reporting on whether companies are giving five percent equity to communities as required by the Land Rights Act.

Overall, it found that 1.4 million hectares of community forest lands were overlapped by mining licenses, undermining local people’s economic opportunities, and thus their autonomy and right to self-determination. The mining environmental laws require permits for semi-industrial scale or class ‘B’ licenses.

Benefits legally guaranteed to communities remain unrealized, while affected communities increasingly face degraded lands, abandoned open pits—deepening their vulnerability and leaving them with more burdens than they can actually handle.

“We only know what has been reported for communities, not what has actually been done. Additional payments may have been made that were unreported, but also payments reportedly made for communities may also have been misdirected elsewhere,” said Blundell, noting that since 2012, rather than putting the revenue into community funds, the government has required all payments to first be deposited into the County accounts. “What has happened to these funds is not clear.” However, the report noted that the General Auditing Commission, in its most recent audit on County Development Fund spending, found gross violations and lack of oversight by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which they said may “lead to fraud…through the processing and disbursement of illegitimate transactions.”

“Any reform should include immediate steps to stem financial losses, compel compliance, and ensure accountability of compensation and other benefits sharing with local communities,” Blundell concluded.

The report revealed Liberia’s forests are at risk, with licenses overlapping more than 2 million hectares nationwide. Mining is undermining the environmental health of these forests, citing a report by Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency. For example, the EPA found that many Class ‘B’ license holders are not obtaining environmental permits, a major requirement under the mining law, and that companies were using heavy machines to pollute major watercourses.

Dredges on the Dugbe River in Sinoe County in 2023. The DayLight/Derick Snyder

The assessment found mining-linked deforestation, hazardous chemical mismanagement, and water pollution at an increasing rate, while monitoring and enforcement remain major challenges to tackling those issues nationwide.

Moreover, the Forest Trends assessment cautioned that these statistics do not include widespread artisanal, unlicensed mining because these mines go unreported by the Ministry of Mines & Energy.

Between 2021 and 2024, Liberia lost 390,000 hectares of primary forest to deforestation due to logging, agriculture expansion, and illegal mining, according to the Global Forest Watch. The recent boom in cocoa farming in the country’s southeast has increased the pace of deforestation.

The report recommends that the government stop illegal mining, enforce existing mining laws and regulations, increase consultations between miners and communities, urging miners to refill holes they dig across communities.

“What is needed now is more transparency, accountability, and a fundamentally different model of resource governance—one that prioritizes social equity, environmental sustainability, and community rights,” the report concludes.

Illegal Sand Miners Leave Beach after Investigation

February 5, 2026

Top: Drone picture showing deserted sand deposits, mangroves, and grass growing on the abandoned mining site. The DayLight/Samuel Jabba

By Harry Browne and Samuel Jabba

SEAVIEW – Illegal miners, who ravaged a beachfront in the Robertsfield Highway community of Gbengbar Town for over a decade, have left the area, following residents’ persistence, authorities’ actions, and a DayLight investigation.

Last December, The DayLight reported that the miners allegedly threatened to kill residents of the Seaview community for opposing their illegal activities. The community involved the police, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which shut down the illegal operations.

“On behalf of the community, I want to say a big thank you to the government of Liberia for intervening,” said Victor Sumo, a Seaview resident and lecturer at the University of Liberia.

“We also appreciate The DayLight for helping us to expose every illegal activity. The drone that was flown and key photos taken exposed them clearly.”

After a DayLight investigation, the Ministry of Mines arrested and jailed Jacob Dolo, the illegal miners’ ringleader.

Upon his release days later, Dolo signed a commitment not to mine in the Seaview area again, according to Agatius Cooker, Inspector General, Ministry of Mines. Dolo confirmed the information.

It is not the first time that the illegal miners have stopped operating—only to later return. Last May, soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia removed them from the beach, seizing their tools.

However, they returned five months later and intensified their activities. The illicit miners had operated in the area since 2014, two years after the government banned beach sand mining.

To prevent the recurrence of that situation, residents have set up a task force to monitor beach activities. Samuel G. Ford, the director of Community Policing at the Liberia National Police, created awareness in the area.

Above and here: Views of the abandoned illegal sand mining site after the jailing of Jacob Dolo, the illegal miners’ ringleader. The DayLight/Samuel Jabba

‘Thank God for The DayLight’

Reporters visited the infamous ‘Block-40’ mining site, located between the beach and a swamp. Back in October, miners uploaded sand in pickup trucks, while others transferred sand from the beach. This time around, the site was a ghost town.

Reporters observed nature reclaiming the illegal sand mine and its environment. Sand deposits lay deserted, the ocean was refilling a gigantic canal the miners dug to transfer sand from the beach. Makeshift shelters were demolished. Grass grew everywhere. At least one squirrel appeared to have observed the noticeable absence of activities, running across the site.

While the illegal miners expressed grievances over the situation, residents were full of praise for The DayLight.

“When they came in, I was really overlooking them to admit the fact. I thought that they could not make,” said Garwool Baysah, a resident. “I tell God thank you for the DayLight. They did extremely well for us.”

This story is produced by The DayLight, with support from the Embassy of Ireland through Integrity Watch Liberia. The DayLight maintained editorial independence over its content, which does not reflect the position of the Embassy of Ireland or Integrity Watch Liberia.

Sand Mining Drowning Fisherfolk in Poverty

November 7, 2025

Top: Empty nets and canoes on the banks of the St. Paul River in Caldwell. The DayLight/Carlucci Cooper

By Carlucci Cooper

ST. PAUL BRIDGE – On the banks of the St. Paul River in Montserrado County, the day starts early. Paddles slicing through the water as fishermen set out before sunrise. For generations, the people along this river have survived on fishing.

But their way of life is fading away.

Where once nets came back filled with fish, now they return almost empty. Children wait on the shore for fathers whose catch can no longer feed them. The silence of empty boats has replaced the laughter that once echoed along the riverbanks.

For Roosevelt Kollie, a fisherman from St. Paul Bridge, a suburb outside Monrovia, who has fished here for over 40 years, the change is personal and painful.

“I have been fishing on this river for more than 30 years, but since companies started mining sand on the river, the fish migrated,” says Kollie. “Places where we used to catch huge quantities are now empty. The river is dying, and so is our livelihood.”

In the last decade or so, fishers like Kollie have seen their catches vanish after several companies began mining sands on the St. Paul River. This is not only changing their way of life but also drowning the fishing community in poverty.

Since 2011, the Ministry of Mines has issued 89 sand mining licenses for rivers and beaches across Liberia, including one that was issued on the 30^th of October, official records show. Nineteen of those licenses were awarded for the St. Paul River, with seven currently active. Most of the licenses came after the Liberian government banned beach sand mining in 2012. The move was meant to curb coastal erosion. However, experts say it has piled pressure on rivers, hampering fishing.

Inland fishery plays a crucial role in sustaining rural life across Liberia. While ocean fisheries often take center stage, rivers, lakes, and wetlands are essential to thousands of families. A 2017 report estimated that 1,460 people engaged in inland fisheries, and the subsector produced 25 percent of the fish for rural communities.

“Fish depend on the riverbed for food. When sand is mined, it destroys their habitat and forces them to migrate into the sea,” says Dr. Eugene Shannon, former Minister of Mines and Energy. “Sometimes they return, and sometimes they’re killed by strong ocean currents. It’s not just bad for the river, it’s devastating for the people who depend on it.”

“[Sand mining] disrupts spawning and nursery grounds and leads to sedimentation, which reduces water quality and oxygen levels,” adds Ahmed Sherf, Director for Environment and Climate Change with the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA). He adds that sand mining damages mangroves, which serve as breeding and feeding grounds for various fish species.

Fishermen know this all too well.

‘’When it rains, my home leaks like outside. My children hold their books so they don’t get wet. Some days they get ready for school, but have to stay home because I can’t afford their remaining school fees,’’ says 42-year-old fisherman, Francis Wreh.

A drone shot of the St. Paul Bridge, after which the fisherfolk community bears its name. The DayLight/Carlucci Cooper

“I go to the river hoping to catch fish to sustain us, but the nets come out nearly empty, only enough to feed us.”

Hopeful, 38-year-old Archie Benson rests on a pile of sand, watching trucks pull away from the riverbank. Not long ago, he would have been pushing a canoe at this hour, nets twisted at his feet. Today, those nets sit dry behind his house. Construction works have replaced fishing, and each load of sand he helps remove feels like another piece of the river slipping away.

“I grew up on this river. Fishing was all I knew. But now I dig sand for construction from the same water that fed us. I feel like I’m undermining my own history, but my family has to survive,” explains Archie Benson, a fisherman-turned-construction-worker.

Fishmongers, too, are bearing the brunt of sand mining. For 36-year-old Tete Wilson, the market no longer echoes with fishermen calling her name. All that is left are empty tubs and tables.

“We used to sit here, and fishermen would bring fish every day, but nowadays we go chasing after them and usually come back with nothing. The fishermen themselves are crying that the water is mean,” says Wilson.

Some fishmongers travel far from St. Paul Bridge just to keep their stalls stocked. Cynthia Nagbe, 29, wakes up before sunrise, boards a taxi to reach beaches in Marshall, Margibi and sometimes Robertsport, Cape Mount, in search of fish. The journey cost her more, but she has little choice if she wants to keep her customers.

A truck collecting sand on the Roberts International Airport highway in 2021. The DayLight/Harry Browne

‘Stop river sand mining’

Sand mining in the St. Paul River might have intensified 13 years ago. However, the river’s profile suggests it would remain a goldmine for the construction industry. One of Liberia’s six largest rivers, the St. Paul flows from Guinea through Liberia into the Atlantic Ocean, spanning 301 miles. A 1963 report found that the mineral is in “unlimited quantities” in the St. Paul Bridge region.

Now, mining sand from the river best explains why fish die or migrate from the area. It works by pumping a mixture of sand and water through long pipelines, using high pressure to extract sediments from the riverbed. The dredged sand is piled in a location where it is separated from the water. The water is then allowed to flow back into the river, degrading that entire ecosystem.

It gets even worse if you add rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, according to a 2017 climate risk profile of Liberia, and overfishing, a lack of canoe-landing sites and storage facilities, according to Sherf.

Sherf says NaFAA is partnering with the Ministry of Mines and Energy and other institutions to meet these challenges and improve fisheries. He recommends the setting up of no-mining zones near critical habitats, enforcing regulations, and promoting alternative construction materials.

Fisherfolk demand these actions now.

“We need the government to either stop river sand mining or enact laws that will protect our river. If we don’t take action, we’ll lose everything: our river, our fish, and our hustle,” says Pious Johnson, a fishmonger in St. Paul Bridge.

“We want the government to act. We survive by this river, so we’re appealing for help,” says Thomas Kollie, a fishmonger.

Annie William, a fishmonger, sits in Sinkor. The DayLight/Carlucci Cooper

The Ministry of Mines insists that companies mining sand on the St. Paul are legal and have the right to be there.

“River sand mining is legal once you have documents that qualify you to operate with a… license, and you pay your taxes,” says Agatius Coker, Mining Inspector. “That’s why we conduct periodic compliance and enforcement with these companies to ensure environmental safety.”

Coker’s comments are largely unfounded. A 2022 General Auditing Commission report revealed that Liberia’s sand mining industry is largely unregulated, with weak oversight and illegal operations.

The report calls for “comprehensive policies, rules, or regulations that are specific to the governance of river sand mining. It found one company operated in Montserrado and Bong Counties without a license, while another abused its prospecting license. It also found that field inspectors did not regularly monitor and report on companies’ operations.

It says, “[The Ministry of Mines] should review the licenses and operations of all companies mining in the St. Paul River and assess the impact of their activities, cancelling and relocating mines that are causing greater environmental degradation.”

Integrity Watch Liberia provided funding for this story. The DayLight maintained complete editorial independence over the story’s content.

Miner Filed Fake Document and Got a License

September 9, 2025

Top: This poster shows Randy Scott, one of Liberia’s most notorious miners, a mine he is associated with in River Gee, an exploration mining license his company RAC Inc. has for Lofa, and a fake business registration certificate RAC Inc. presented to obtain the license. Picture credit: Facebook/Randy Scott and Prince Copeland for The DayLight

By James Harding Giahyue

MONROVIA – In January, RAC Incorporated, a mining firm owned by Randy Scott, who was involved in Liberia’s largest mining scandal in Gbarpolu, acquired a gold-exploration license for Lofa County. The three-year license covers 210.76 square kilometers in the Zorzor and Salayea Districts.

But what the Ministry of Mines and Energy apparently did not notice was that at least one of RAC’s documents was fake. A DayLight desk review found over a dozen inconsistencies on RAC’s business registration certificate, ranging from dates to markings.

RAC’s actual certificate was issued on August 1, 2023, and expired on July 26, 2024, according to the Business Registry’s records. It has not been renewed. RAC was first registered on March 31, 2021, about the same time it was founded, according to the company’s business registration certificate and articles of incorporation, and was enrolled at the Liberia Business Registry. An official listing of all the companies Mr. Scott owns or co-owns revealed RAC’s certificate indeed expired on Independence Day last year and had yet to be renewed.

The document RAC filed with the Ministry of Mines claims it was originally registered with the Business Registry on July 30, 2024. It was a red flag because the information contradicted the Business Registry’s records. Moreover, the Ministry of Mines’ records show that RAC’s operations date back to 2022, further proof that RAC could not have initially registered in 2024.

The document in question indicates that RAC’s business registration ran from July 30, 2024, to July 23, 2025. This is inconsistent with certificates issued by the Business Registry. Normally, certificates, which are issued in July, expire in June the following year.

The document identifies the company as “leasing and renting of motor vehicles.” This description omits mining and quarrying, RAC’s main scope of business. Also omitted is the Liberian seal, which is a crucial feature on known samples of valid business registration certificates.

A fake business registration certificate RAC Incorporated, owned by Randy Scott, a notorious illegal miner, presented and obtained a gold-exploration license in Lofa County, covering 210.76 square kilometers.

Liberia Business Registry records show that RAC’s valid business registration certificate expired on July 26, 2024, and has not been renewed

A tax identification number—unique to a taxpayer—appears at the top-right corner of valid certificates. However, RAC has that detail in the body of the document. It even repeats the company’s business registration number, which, like a taxpayer identification number, appears only once on valid certificates.

Generally, the document in question contains more wording than real business registration certificates. The most telling is a line at the bottom of the document that reads: “This certificate is evidence of registration by enterprise branch/subsidiary as a taxpayer and employer.” The clause is unique to RAC, as valid certificates do not contain that line, suggesting that RAC deployed it to deceive the Ministry of Mines —and it worked.

Forging a document is a crime under the Minerals and Mining Law of Liberia, with a fine between US$1,000 and US$2,000, or a two or three-month prison term after a court process.

‘Go [and] sue me’

The investigation is a follow-up to an initial publication, which established that RAC Incorporated had been issued the exploration license with an expired business registration certificate. It had also found that RAC and Gee Mining Resources Ltd., its affiliate, were involved in illegal mining in River Gee County. The evidence established that RAC signed an MoU with local people, while Gee Mining conducted the mining. Satellite imagery showed that Gee Mining operated over 1,000 meters outside the nearer of its two claims.

The DayLight has written Minister Wilmot Paye about RAC’s forgery and illegal mining activities in River Gee, and the regulator has contacted the Business Registry to verify the document.

Confronted with evidence of the fake document, Scott sounded unbothered. “If you have evidence that my document is fake, go and sue me,” he said in a phone interview. “Do you know a fake document?” Scott holds 95 percent of RAC’s shares, while one Moses Luther holds the remaining shares, according to the company’s articles of incorporation.

This is not the first time Mr. Scott, who co-owns and is linked to multiple companies, has been involved in illegal mining activities. Last July, he and several Chinese nationals were indicted in Liberia’s largest mining scandal, valued at US$48.8 million. Earlier, the Environmental Protection Agency fined J.M. Mining, another of Mr. Scott’s companies, US$95,000 for operating without a permit. Before that, Urban and Rural Services Inc., to which he is connected, operated with an expired license.

Integrity Watch Liberia provided funding for this story. The DayLight maintained editorial independence over its content.

Ministry Seizes Machines at Illegal Sinoe Mine

July 17, 2025

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The illicit mine in Paboken, Jaedepo District, Sinoe County, where the Ministry of Mines made the seizure. Picture credit: Ministry of Mines and Energy

ByVarney Kamara

ZWEDRU, Grand Gedeh – The Ministry of Mines and Energy has seized machines at an illicit mine in Sinoe County, ordering its closure.

Over the weekend, the Ministry held an excavator and a mini washing plant at the mine in Paboken, Jaedepo District. The mine owner, identified as Mohamed Kamara (no relation to this reporter), fled the scene, said Awell Aloysius Carr, the Director of Mines at the ministry.

“Based on the scale of illicit mining activities we saw in this area, we immediately issued a closure and seizure order,” Carr, the told The DayLight in the Zwedru. “I saw massive footprints. I mean areas that were excavated, water courses were diverted, vegetation was destroyed.”

Carr said the ministry would take the matter, and had informed local chiefs and elders, urging them not to shield the alleged perpetrator. Mining without a license violates the Minerals and Mining Law, with a fine, a prison term, or both for violators.

The seizure forms part of a broader crackdown on illegal mining across the country, particularly artisanal and small-scale mines. However, it was the authorities’ first visit to Paboken.

Recently, the ministry appointed a mining agent to the area after recalling the previous one in a move to reform one of the government’s most important yet challenging sectors. The ministry has established County Mining Offices to counter illegal mining.

“I am not going to sugar-quote this,” Carr said.

“We want to say to people out there… that gone are the days you will come and destroy our forest, deplete our resources, and you think that you will go scot-free.”

Wilmot Paye: Minister Reforming Mining Sector

June 23, 2025

Top: The newly renovated Ministry of Mines and Energy is part of an ongoing reform by Minister Wilmot Paye. The DayLight/Harry Browne

By Varney Kamara

MONROVIA – A bold, new signboard brandishes the phrase: “Ministry of Mines and Energy.” The walls glitter with freshly painted gray and white. Just beyond the lobby, a fenced yard holds items seized from miners. Inside, lighted corridors beam with hope and accountability.

These are part of a sectoral reform Minister Wilmot Paye is instituting for a bewildered yet promising mining sector. In an exclusive interview with The DayLight, Paye explains the reform, which ranges from employees’ productivity to combating illicit activities.

“That’s not where we want to be. We had to get the basics right. If we don’t get the basics right, how can we regulate two key sectors of our economy: the mining and energy sectors?” Paye tells The DayLight.

“Former South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said, ‘If you can’t measure it, you can certainly not manage it.’ So, first, we need to have the capacity. You have to have the personnel. You have to boost the morale. You have to have the equipment.”

Part of the internal restructuring, the ministry purchased office computers and equipment, according to Paye. Next, the administration stabilized electricity and restored order. Workers are now coming to work as early as 8 am and departing offices by 4 pm, in line with civil service rules.

Furthermore, the ministry has relocated the Liberian Geological Survey and Liberian Hydrological Survey on the Old Road to the ministry’s headquarters on Capitol Hill. The two offices collect and analyze rocks and water data to support mineral exploration.

Recent surveys suggest Liberia has vast mineral potential beyond its traditional mineral resources. However, the lack of scientific, evidence-based data has prevented the full realization of this endowment. Paye says the refurbished geological and hydrological surveys, with modern equipment, will help bridge that gap.

Minister of Mines and Energy Wilmot Paye speaks to The DayLight on June 10, 2025. The DayLight/Harry Browne

Recently, the ministry embraced new data from a Chinese-funded study that revealed over a dozen previously unidentified minerals, moving beyond iron ore, diamonds, and gold to seeking complete geological mapping of all ten quadrats nationwide, with only one section surveyed so far, he says.

Also, the ministry has abolished voluntary work, which has plagued the mining sector for decades. A 2021 General Auditing Agency (GAC) report found that 65 percent of the ministry’s workforce were volunteers. So, Paye dropped 225 volunteer inspectors, mining agents and patrolmen who did not complete high school, and retained 85 who did.

“When you have volunteer inspectors who were deployed across the country to help implement the mining laws and regulations, you are simply saying to them, ‘Go and pay yourselves, and that’s what happened,’” says Paye.

“What has happened over the years is that we had mining agents and people assigned to regulate the sector and implement the mineral mining laws—some of whom didn’t even finish high school. So, how can you monitor what you don’t understand?”

Eighty-five geologists and mining engineers have been incorporated into companies in line with the Minerals and Mining Law, and that number could rise to 114 in the coming months, according to Paye. The law requires firms to give preference to employing skilled Liberians in senior roles.

“The companies are legally obligated to provide what is called a “sustenance allowance” for two years. Some young professionals are earning about US$2,000. So, imagine a young person just leaving university and becoming part of the system. This is one way of grooming an industry, producing future industry leaders and decision-makers who can then be deployed and recruited across the country.”

That aside, the ministry has assigned 30 additional geologists and mining engineers to newly established County Mine Offices. Established in all 15 counties, these structures help to fight illicit mining activities. They, Paye says, are equipped with GPS devices and other tools whose lack hinders supervision.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy is enforcing a legal provision through which Liberian geologists and mining engineers work at mines, including Bao Chico in Gbarpolu County, seen in this elevated view. The DayLight/Derick Snyder

Newly established county mine offices would oversee all mining and energy-related activities in their respective counties. Mining agents, the ministry’s highest local officers, will report to these offices, which in turn will report to the central office, Paye says. He adds the ministry has purchased GPS equipment and drones for fieldworkers to make their work easier.

Asked whether new county mine officers would not usurp existing mining agents’ function, Paye says, “No, there won’t be a clash. The county mine offices will oversee all mining and energy-related activities in their respective counties. The mining agents employed at the lower levels will report to the county supervisory offices.

“The only way to effectively curtail illicit mining activities is to have people on the ground with the technical knowledge to implement sustainable and environmentally friendly mining programs. We must consider the entire ecosystem of the mining sector: community welfare, the rights of license holders, and protecting investors, while preventing illicit operations. The real risk here is that we are losing a lot as a country due to illicit activities,” Paye says.

“What we are doing is establishing a serious presence across the country. Once we achieve that, we can hold people accountable, because there will be decentralized oversight,” Paye says. “We want to know what mining activities are taking place in River Gee County, for example—who is operating there, and who holds a license.”

‘Kata-kata’ machines

Illicit mining undermines Liberia’s mining sector, which contributes 15 percent to the country’s GDP. It is linked to pollution, deforestation, and annual losses of US$200 million, according to a 2021 report by the Global Financial Integrity, a US-based think tank dedicated to researching and combating corruption, illicit trade, and money laundering worldwide.

Men operate a mining machine, locally known as a kata-kata machine, in Grand Cape Mount County in 2019. Picture credit: James Giahyue

Two dredges on the River Dugbe in Sinoe County. The DayLight/Derick Snyder

From the start of this year, the ministry and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have shut down illegal and noncompliant mines countrywide. Coordinating with the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), the crackdown has led to fines and prosecutions.

One of the areas of concentration is the use of devices in the artisanal mining subsector, locally known as “kata-kata” machines. Normally, the Ministry of Mines issues permits for kata-kata machines in difficult terrain. However, miners are using the machine so widely without the ministry’s approval. Illicit miners are also using dredges, which pollute rivers with mercury, destroy habitats, and pose a risk to public health.

In addition to those illegal activities, noncompliance is commonplace. There are government officials with shares in or control over companies, creating conflicts of interest. Some firms do not meet requirements, and there are issues with foreign staffers’ residency and work permits. Some companies have vague ownership structures, a breeding ground for terrorist financing, tax evasion and money laundering.

Paye calls on journalists and the public to join in the fight against illegal mining.

“We always tell our people to push their government to do the right thing,” Paye. Don’t side with companies. They’re not here because they love your country. They’re here because of what they see. Push your government to act right so the citizens benefit.”

Miners Dig Community Forest with Expired License

January 21, 2025

Top: Miners operate with an expired license in the Salayea Community Forest. The DayLight/Harry Browne

By Esau J. Farr

SALAYEA TOWN – In late May 2024, the Salayea Authorized Community Forest filed a lawsuit against a group of illegal miners for alleged unauthorized entry.

The Salayea Magisterial Court threw the case out, saying Ford Tabolo, the miners’ head, had a legal class ‘C’ or small-scale license. The court called on the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to resolve the matter.

But Tabolo’s miners continued to mine after the expiration of his license in August last year, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s records. This means that Tabolo has illegally exploited the 8,270-hectare woodland for five months, nearly half of the lifespan of a small-scale mining license.

In a follow-up to previous investigations, reporters walked six hours to and from the community forest late last year and gathered evidence of Tabolo’s illicit mining activities.

“He (Ford Tabolo) is aware of our operation [mining activities] here and he is the one sponsoring us. If anybody has a problem with us, they will put it before our leader,” said Daddy Kanneh, the head of the mining camp.

Illicit miners Water wash gold at a mining camp in the Salayea Community Forest. The DayLight/Esau J. Farr

The camp is first from Salayea Town towards Telemu deep into the forest at the foot of a red, muddy hill. Mine pits spread beneath a hill, with two tents made of palm thatches and tarpaulins. Five miners panned and sieved for gold with a water pump machine, which is prohibited for small-scale mining.

“If the forest people say we should stop mining, that one should be an agreement between them and our boss man,” added Kanneh.

The reporters walked another hour to Tabolo’s second goldmine. Perched on the banks of a stream, some 10 miners worked there—this time—with shovels, buckets, diggers and cutlasses.

Here, the miners built an inclined wooden stage with carpets. They poured muddy gravel on the carpeted stage, followed by water, which entrapped tiny gold nuggets.

Other mineworkers panned for the nuggets, while others dug gravels and transported them to the washing stage.

Miners wash gravel for gold in the Salayea Community Forest. The DayLight/Esau J. Farr

“Right now, we have around 30 persons here in the forest. The way we used to receive gold here, we are not receiving it like that. When we were using the machine, we were getting more gold but the forest guards came here and took it away,” said John Kollie, the camp’s manager. Kollie disclosed they got between a quarter and half of a gram of gold daily.

Reporters could not visit Tabolo’s third goldmine more than two hours walk away, as evening approached. It would have meant sleeping in the dark, humid forest, and compromising their safety. So, they collected testimonies from the miners who had worked there.

They spoke about how Salayea Community Forest guards seized their tools, including a machine, carpets and shovels.

The DayLight could not determine whether Tabolo had a license for all three goldmines, as he has three other expired licenses in Lofa.

Efforts to interview Tabolo did not materialize, as his phone was always off, and he did not reply to text messages. However, in a previous interview with The DayLight, the mine owner said he would upgrade his small-scale license to a semi-industrial scale license.

Mining with an expired license constitutes a violation, with up to a US$2,000 fine, a maximum 24-month imprisonment, or both for convicted offenders.

Conservation undermined

The community forest wants the miners out as the forest is under conservation. Salayea Community Forest is important for conservation due to its rich biodiversity, which has empowered local people.

The community forest runs alternative livelihood programs, including beekeeping, piggery, village saving loans, woodshops and cocoa plantations.

“We want the government to make sure to get the miners out of the forest because it is undermining our conservation efforts,” said Yassah Mulbah, the chief officer of the forest. “We will not rest as leaders of the forest until the right things are done.”

Miners in the Salayea Community Forest in Lofa County. The DayLight/Harry Browne

Last November, the current minister of Lands, Mines and Energy Minister, Wilmot Paye suggested that the mining law was superior to forestry laws and regulations. He made the statement in a WhatsApp chat with The DayLight.

“Your query should further focus on what the Minerals and Mining Law of 2000 says,” Paye texted and did not say anything thereafter.

Paye’s comments were incorrect. The mining law does not recognize community forestry—it is Liberia’s oldest extractive law. However, the Community Rights Law and the Land Rights Act of 2018 do. Both laws grant locals ownership of forestlands.

This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Liberia (CoFEJ).

Government Lapse Leading Miners to Community Forests

November 12, 2024

Top: An earthmover at work in Belleh Yalla, Gbarpolu County. The DayLight/James Harding Giahyue

By Varney Kamara

SALAYEA TOWN Lofa County – In early June, villagers seized a team of miners and their equipment for operating in the Salayea Community Forest without their consent and sued them.

A week later, the Salayea Magisterial Court dismissed the case because the miners had a valid license. It advised the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to settle the matter administratively.

Salayea is the latest community forest for which the Ministry of Mines has issued a license without landowning communities’ participation. This practice abuses communities’ rights, undermines their efforts to manage forests, and leads to forest degradation. From 2002, Liberia lost 347,000 hectares of primary forest, with 20,000 hectares in Lofa County last year alone, according to the Global Forest Watch, an online platform that monitors forests worldwide.

Miners in the Korninga B Community Forest in Gbarpolu. Picture credit: Moses R. Quollin

“What is happening in the community is bad because they are damaging the forest that we are fighting to protect for our children and the future generation,” says Yassah Mulbah, the chief officer of the 8,270-hectare forest, one of a few conservation community forests countrywide. Home to important plants and animal species, Salayea received a community forest status in 2019.

“We are not happy because they are still destroying our forests, cutting down trees, and spoiling rivers and creeks because of gold-digging business,” adds Mulbah.

The Community Rights Law of 2009 with Respect to Forest Lands, empowers rural people, who were marginalized for decades. The law empowers residents to share benefits and managerial responsibilities with the FDA.

On the other hand, mining is a cornerstone of Liberia’s economy, with significant contributions to GDP and revenue. Last year, mining contributed $665.4 million to Liberia’s GDP and was a primary driver of economic growth along with construction, according to the World Bank. Continued growth of 5.3 percent is projected for 2024 and an average of 5.6 percent between 2024 and 2025, spurred by mining and structural reforms.

Lawsuits

Mining in community forests has led to several lawsuits countrywide in the last five years. Two cases ended with fines against the miners, while the other was withdrawn, giving the miners a clean slate.

In the first case, Korninga B Community Forest in Gbarpolu, 100 kilometers west of Salayea, locals sued Bea Mountain company for unauthorized entry into the community forest. They accused the company of cutting and destroying 2,800 logs while exploring for gold.

Later, the 16th Judicial Circuit Court in Bopolu found the Turkish-owned company liable and ordered it to pay over US$1.3 million in special damages and an additional US$3 million in general damages. The company eventually paid the community US$200,000 in an out-of-court settlement.

Solway explored Mt. Blei (pictured) and Mt. Detton, initially without the locals’ consent. Picture credit: James Harding Giahyue

The second case is the most infamous. In 2019, the Ministry of Mines and Energy granted Solway Mining Inc. an exploration license for patches of forest in Blei and Sehyi Ko-doo Community Forests without the communities’ consent. So, locals filed a lawsuit. Subsequently, Solway paid the communities a US$3,000 fine after a local court ruled its entry into the rocky woodlands unauthorized. However, Solway went on to sign an agreement with the two communities for its exploration activities.

The third case happened earlier this year, just before Salayea. Bondi Mandingo Authorized Community Forest in Gbarpolu filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Harming Mining Group of Companies. The community accused the company of cutting trees, digging large pits polluting water sources and establishing a camp protected by armed police.

Backed by chiefs and elders, the company purchased small-scale mining licenses the Ministry of Mines had awarded unknown to the community forest’s leadership. In the end, the community flipped and consented to the company’s operations.

Uncoordinated agencies

The cases expose the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Mines and the FDA, corruption other issues, forestry campaigners say.

A 2018 USAID report established that the Ministry of Mines weakened local forest management by authorizing mining in community forests without consulting local people and the FDA.

A 2021 Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) report highlighted weak coordination between the government offices in awarding semi-industrial-scale and small-scale mining licenses.

It found no redress mechanism for dissatisfied townspeople, except the courts, and that citizens’ participation in mining was low.

“In some areas, the FDA and Ministry of Mines and Energy lack the resources or capacity to enforce rules effectively,” says Dayugar Johnson, the lead campaigner at Civil Society Independent Forest Monitors.

“This leaves community forests and… protected areas vulnerable to unauthorized mining activities…” Johnson thinks corruption, high demands for minerals, limited awareness of the law and lack of alternative livelihood are a part of the problem.

Based on past and present mining authorities’ comments, there is more to the issue than the lack of coordination. It is also about the abuse of communities’ rights to forestlands.

A portion of the Sehyi-Ko-doo Community Forest in Nimba County. The DayLight/Derick Snyder

In a 2020 interview, then-Assistant Minister for Exploration Rexford Sartuh disclosed that the Ministry of Mines did not recognize community forests. “They have their right to their land but when it comes to the issuance of mineral rights in Liberia, we don’t consider them. They believe that we should ask them before we issue [licenses]. We should not,” Sartuh said in the interview.

Sartuh’s view is the same as current Minister Wilmot Paye. In a WhatsApp chat with The DayLight, Paye suggested that the mining law was superior to forestry laws and regulations.

“Your query should further focus on what the Minerals and Mining Law of 2000 says,” Paye texted, and did not say anything else.

Paye’s comments contradict the facts. Though the mining law does not recognize communities’ rights—it is Liberia’s oldest extractive law—the Community Rights Law and the Land Rights Act of 2018 do. Both forestry instruments grant locals the right to consent and ownership of forestlands. The land law’s respect for community ownership is regarded as a landmark achievement in Liberia’s history.

Drafters of a new mining law, a draft seen by The DayLight, are proposing full recognition of all forestry and land laws and regulations.

‘Dissatisfied’

The FDA Managing Director Rudolph Merab did not respond to queries. However, Merab’s predecessor, Mike Doryen, criticized the Solway deal in 2020.

“We are disappointed in the way the Ministry of Mines and Energy handled things,” said Doryen at the time. “We think it has the propensity of discouraging our donors from making any more investments in the conservation area of our country.”

Doryen’s comments were a reference to a fallout of Solway’s exploration in Blei and Sehyi Ko-doo.

The two conservation community forests are adjacent to the East Nimba Nature Reserve, a biodiversity hub home to the endangered Western Chimpanzee and the endemic Nimba toad. Both steep community forests and two others—Gba and Zor—receive support from ArcelorMittal Liberia and USAID.

Community forest guards with materials they seized from miners in Salayea Community Forest. File picture/Salayea Community Forest

Meanwhile, the situation in Salayea is not over. The court removed its stay order on the miners’ operations, leaving the community reeling.

Mulbah and co have decided to sue the miners at another court after consulting the FDA, which she says pledges to support Salayea.

“The community is frustrated, and people want to protest, but we urge patience as we seek help to protect our forest,” said Mulbah. “We are not satisfied because the government authorized us to manage our forest and resources.

Illicit Miners Ravage Community Forest

November 5, 2024

Top: Local forest guards with carpet seized from artisanal miners in the Salayea Community Forest. File picture

By Esau J. Farr

TELEMU TOWN, Lofa County – Miners in Lofa County have intruded on the Salayea Authorized Community Forest, undermining locals’ efforts to conserve the woodland. The miners entered the 8,270-hectare forest without the community’s consent, violating the Community Rights Law, which created community forestry.

“They are knocking down the trees,” said Yassah Mulbah, the chief officer of the forest, established in 2019.

The DayLight obtained photographs taken by local forest guards showing mining equipment, barrels of fuel, felled trees and a polluted waterway.

Townspeople said the miners had 13 dredges on a tributary of the St. Paul River, machines the government has banned. The DayLight could not independently verify that information regarding our reporters’ safety on a long road amid bad weather.

Salayea is one of a few conservation community forests in Liberia, the only one in Lofa County. The forest’s leadership runs alternative livelihood programs to keep locals off murky, rocky woodland, with a high potential for gold.

“We want to keep this area as a reserved forest for our children and future generations,” said Nathaniel Forkpa, the secretary general of the community land leadership of Palama Clan, which hosts a portion of the forest.

Illicit miners over the River Dugbe in Sinoe. The DayLight/Derick Snyder

Forkpah, secretary general of the Palama Clan’s community land development and management committee. The clan hosts a portion of the forest. Forkpah and other townsmen had first spotted the miners in May.

In 2023, Lofa County lost 20,000 hectares of forest, according to the Global Forest Watch, which tracks deforestation worldwide. It was the county with the third-most loss.

Administrative proceeding

Angered by the actions of the illicit mining activities, forest guards seized the miners’ properties.

Later, Salayea filed a lawsuit against Ford Roy Tabolo, the mine owner. They sue him and two other men for mining without license, smuggling of minerals, criminal trespass and criminal facilitation, documents from the Salayea Magisterial Court show.

Tabolo and the men deny any wrongdoing. Tabolo argued that their activities were legal, producing a small-scale mining license.

Following a week of hearings, the court dismissed the case and removed a stay on the trio’s activities.

Judge Gabriel Ndupellar ruled that both parties had legal documents. Ndupellar said the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) needed to resolve the matter.

“The proceeding before this court is not ripe enough for judicial determination, except based on the outcome of an administrative proceeding,” the court said.

Reeling from the ruling, Salayea wrote the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) about the case. “We need your quick intervention,” read the June 8 letter. The FDA did not immediately respond to the DayLight’s queries.

The case is the fourth concerning mining in a community forest in the last five years, per media reports. Previous cases involved Korninga B and Bondi Mandingo in Gbarpolu, and Blei and Sehyi-Ko-doo in Nimba. Bea Mountain Mining Corporation and Solway Mining Inc. were penalized in the Korninga B and Nimba cases. The other Gbarpolu case implicates unlicensed miners and is still in court.

Meanwhile, Mulbah said Salayea was consulting lawyers for further legal actions against Tabolo.

Salayea forest guards with tools seized from an artisanal mine owner Ford Roy Tabolo. File picture

Water pollution

Back in Salayea, Tabolo and his team are digging in the forest. A DayLight review of the Ministry of Mines’ records shows Tabolo has four small-scale mining licenses, all expired in August and have not been renewed. That includes the license he presented to the court, based on court filings. Tabolo did not return queries for comments on this story.

Locals said another group of miners uses dredges on the St. Paul River, polluting creeks, driving away wildlife, and destroying the forest. It was due to such harmful environmental impacts the Ministry of Mines imposed a moratorium on dredging in 2019.

“The fishes in the water are also being affected and our people are eating the fish because they don’t know,” said Tokpah Koiwu, a community leader.

Villagers now carry drinking water from towns to their farms due to the pollution, Koiwu added.

The DayLight did not see the dredges. However, reporters obtained photos of royal blue plastic barrels, used by miners to make the makeshift machines. Furthermore, the color of the water in the pictures was consistent with a dredging operation.

This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Liberia (CoFEJ).

Tag: Ministry of Mines and Energy

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