By Gareyson Y. Neufville
MARYLAND COUNTY, Liberia — Illegal mining activities have resurfaced in Kaluway Administrative District #1, Maryland County, following the arrest of six Chinese Nationals and a Liberian national allegedly involved in unlicensed mining operations in the town of Gbaken.
The arrests were carried out early Monday morning, January 26, 2026—hours before President Joseph N. Boakai was scheduled to address the nation through the 55th National Legislature on key sectors of the economy, including mining, a major contributor to Liberia’s domestic revenue.
According to local sources, the six Chinese nationals and the Liberian, said to be serving as a Black Manager for the Dupe Mining Cooperative, were arrested and forwarded to Monrovia after a failed negotiation reportedly intended to prevent a compliance inspection by a representative of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME).
Alleged Negotiations and Bribery Claims
An insider at the Dupe Mining Cooperative disclosed that negotiations reportedly began on Saturday, January 24, 2026, after an MME representative allegedly imposed a fine of US$150,000 on the cooperative for operating without a valid mining license.
The source claimed that during the negotiations, L$1,330,000 was allegedly presented to Maryland County Superintendent Henry B. Cole for onward submission to the MME representative. The fine was later reportedly reduced from US$150,000 to US$85,000.
However, the cooperative allegedly failed to meet the revised penalty due to financial constraints linked to obligations under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the Gbaken community.
MOU Obligations and Community Development
According to the insider, the MOU requires the cooperative to implement at least 90 percent of agreed development projects before commencing full mining operations. These include the construction of nine hand pumps, completion of a community school project initiated in early 2023 by Sow Mining and Jupiter Mining Companies, and rehabilitation of the road linking the town to the main Alphas Road.
The source disclosed that only three of the nine hand pumps have been completed, while the school project stands at approximately 70 percent completion, with painting currently underway. Road rehabilitation work has reportedly stalled due to the cooperative’s lack of a motor grader.
Arrests and Conflicting Accounts
During a media tour of the Dupe Mining Cooperative’s operational site on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the insider expressed surprise that despite the alleged payment, the MME representative entered the camp on Monday morning to arrest senior members of the cooperative.
The source quoted the MME representative as saying:
“That free money, I will arrest and take you to the ministry in Monrovia.”
Superintendent Responds
When contacted by phone, Maryland County Superintendent Henry B. Cole denied receiving L$1,330,000 but confirmed visiting the mining cooperative’s operational site in Kaluway Administrative District #1.
Superintendent Cole stated that he was unaware of any arrests carried out by the Ministry of Mines and Energy representative and expressed willingness to appear on radio to clarify the bribery allegations leveled against him.
Past Allegations Resurface
The source further expressed disappointment, claiming a similar situation occurred during the administration of former Maryland County Superintendent George A. Prowd, involving Sow Mining and Jupiter Mining Companies, where an alleged US$50,000 payment was made toward a US$150,000 fine imposed by an MME representative.
Contacted by phone the same day, former Superintendent George A. Prowd strongly denied the allegation, stating:
“It is a blatant lie. I, George A. Prowd, did not receive any money from any mining company during my administration as County Superintendent.”
