A troubling new investigation by The DayLight, led by reporter Prince Copeland, has uncovered what appears to be a web of illegal gold mining activities involving two companies, RAC Incorporated and Gee Mining Resources Ltd, operating in Liberia’s southeastern River Gee County.
The investigation, backed by official documents, interviews, satellite imagery, and geographic data, reveals that Gee Mining is conducting operations well outside its licensed claims, in violation of the country’s Minerals and Mining Law.
Additionally, the company appears to be fronting for RAC, a company whose business registration has expired and whose majority shareholder, Randy Scott, has a controversial history in Liberia’s mining sector.
Suspicious Beginnings
According to The DayLight, the case began with a July 10, 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between RAC Incorporated and traditional leaders in Tartuken, Nyeniwroken District.
The MoU promised social development benefits to the community, including a guesthouse, clinic, and monthly payments.
Field visits confirmed that RAC has fulfilled some of those commitments, including constructing hand pumps and paying stipends to teachers.
However, community members later expressed confusion when they discovered the mining operations were actually being carried out by a different company- Gee Mining Resources Ltd, a firm that was only five months old at the time of the MoU.
Both companies’ representatives confirmed the arrangement. “Yes, Gee Mining and RAC are in partnership. They are the same,” Scott told The DayLight via phone. Gee Mining’s owner, Nelson Worjolo, claimed RAC had a “small issue” that prevented it from operating directly, prompting him to step in.
Community elders refute Worjolo’s version of events. “No, they never came back to tell the townspeople that they were changing the company’s name from RAC to Gee Mining,” said Elijah Toe, one of the signatories of the MoU.
Illegally Operating Outside License Area
Further digging into the matter led The DayLight to the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s records, revealing that RAC only holds a license for exploration in Lofa County, nowhere near Tartuken.
Gee Mining, meanwhile, holds two Class B (medium-scale) gold mining licenses in the area. But according to geolocation analysis commissioned by The DayLight, the company is mining over 1,000 meters outside its authorized boundaries.
“This mine is illegal,” the report stated plainly.
Worjolo, when confronted with the satellite evidence, claimed ignorance. Scott attempted to deflect, suggesting the operations might fall under a small-scale Class C license, but neither company possesses one. Moreover, earthmovers are banned on small-scale claims, especially in soft terrains like Tartuken’s.
Mining outside of one’s designated claim is a criminal offense in Liberia and can carry up to 24 months in prison, a $2,000 fine, or both.
Dredging Returns Despite National Ban
Even more alarming is the presence of illegal dredging activities in the Gee River, a practice banned since 2019 due to environmental degradation.
The DayLight reports that at least four dredges were spotted operating on the river, next to Gee Mining’s claims.
Local elders confirmed that dredge operators were paying them fees, while the miners themselves admitted to making payments not only to the community but also to Tanneh Borteh, the Ministry of Mines’ regional agent.
“If we are not paying anything, I will tell you,” a Ghanaian miner told The DayLight. “But we are paying dues to the mining agent, the town people, and the claim agent too.”
Both Worjolo and Borteh denied sanctioning the dredging activities. Borteh insisted he had warned the dredgers to leave but had not followed up since.
Randy Scott: A Notorious Name Resurfaces
This is not the first time Randy Scott’s name has surfaced in illegal mining scandals.
In 2023, a DayLight investigation found that a company linked to him, Urban and Rural Services, operated an illegal mine in Todee District, Montserrado County. The firm conducted full-scale mining using only a prospecting license.
A year later, Scott was implicated in what might be Liberia’s biggest illegal mining case, a $48.8 million lawsuit involving encroachment, environmental destruction, and accusations of economic sabotage and tax evasion in Belle Yalla, Gbarpolu County. According to the Ministry of Justice, the Liberian government lost nearly $12 million in potential revenue due to the activities.
The Tartuken case now adds to Scott’s growing reputation as one of Liberia’s most controversial and allegedly illegal miners.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy has not yet responded to the findings in The DayLight’s report.
However, the implications are serious: mining outside designated areas, fronting for foreign interests, operating with expired registrations, and facilitating illegal dredging, all under the supposed watch of local mining authorities.
As Tartuken’s elders, miners, and companies await action, one thing is clear: the need for stronger enforcement of mining laws in Liberia has never been more urgent.
The original author is Prince Copeland of The Daylight. This story was a production of the Community of Forest and Environmental Journalists of Liberia (CoFEJ).
