Gbarpolu County, Liberia – An investigation has revealed staggering illicit mining operations in Gbarpolu County, with an estimated daily output valued at over one million dollars.
In Monakorlleh, Gao Feng’s illegal operations are believed to produce at least 5,000 grams of gold per day, worth approximately $365,000. In Belle Yallah, the daily production is estimated at a minimum of 8,000 grams, valued at around $583,000. These figures underscore the significant financial gains being reaped from illegal mining in the region.
Gao Feng, a notorious Chinese miner also known as Barry, continues large-scale illicit mining activities under the protection of armed police officers in the wake of explicit orders pronounced by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME).
This alarming situation raises serious questions about the source of his apparent impunity within President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration.
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Wilmot Paye, during a press conference cited serious concerns about the ongoing illegal mining. “Our Assistant Minister for Mines and Assistant Minister for Exploration conducted a thorough investigation of the illicit mining activities in Gbarpolu County and submitted their report. I am not aware of any licensed mining holder named Barry (aka Gao Feng). When something is illicit, it means it does not have the right to operate!” says Minister Paye.
The MME investigation team however discovered that Gao Feng through various companies including Urban & Rural Services Inc., Scott Investment Incorporation, Xin Li Da Investment Development Ltd., and Liberia Xian Shi Development Co., Ltd., has been conducting extensive illicit mining. These operations involve seventeen excavators and eight washing plants spread across Belle Yallah and Monakorlleh since March 2023.
In April 2024, the MME halted Gao Feng’s illegal operations in these areas. However, shockingly, Gao Feng resumed his illicit activities immediately after the MME team left. Disturbingly, more than nine armed police officers are now stationed at these illicit mining camps, providing protection for these unauthorized activities.
Gao Feng has been referred to as the “real Minister of Mines and Energy” over the past six years, a title he seems to wield with impunity. In a reported bold and alarming statement, he declared, “No one in Liberia can stop my illicit mining. I can even mine under the mansion without a license if minerals are there!” Despite President Boakai’s administration being in office for over four months, Gao Feng continues to benefit from his “Real Minister” status, undeterred by the MME’s efforts to stop his illegal activities.
The critical question arises: Who is granting Gao Feng, aka Barry, the authority to continue his illicit mining operations despite the MME’s clear directive to halt them? This situation underscores a potential deep-seated issue of corruption and abuse of power within the administration, necessitating urgent and transparent investigations.
The MME remains committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting Liberia’s natural resources. Minister Paye calls for immediate action to dismantle the network of protection surrounding Gao Feng’s illicit operations and to hold accountable those enabling these illegal activities.
Credit: Daily Observer
