Monrovia, Liberia- Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge A. Blamo Dixon has found nine former security officers of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) guilty of masterminding a fuel theft operation worth nearly one million U.S. dollars.
The ruling, handed down on May 5, 2025, brings a close to months-long trial centered on a sophisticated conspiracy involving the illegal siphoning of petroleum products from the LPRC’s jetty pipeline.
Court documents revealed that between September 2023 and January 2024, the convicted officers 193,659 gallons oil, gasoline, and jet A-1 fuel from the storage terminal as well as private sector partners like Srimex, China Union, and Connex.
The defendants include Andrew P. Nimely, Kingston S. Sneh, Emmanuel G. Garway, Robert S. Alfred, Alphanso Sackie, Beyan A. Cooper, John Kolubah, Peter Z. Tayn, and William V. Gray.
However, as part of their sentencing, Judge Dixon ordered the defendants to repay a total of U.S. $941,895.11 and fined each individual $300.
Meanwhile, Judge Dixon further order the correctional officers at the Ministry of Justice to conduct a pre-sentencing investigation to state whether or not the defendants had previous criminal records and forward the report to the court to determine their sentences.
The case followed an internal investigations launched by authorities of LPRC in early 2024, which uncovered evidence of infrastructure tampering and petroleum theft.
Following the findings, the accused officers were suspended and turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.
In response to the convictions, LPRC management has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public assets and maintaining transparency.
The Company in a release noted that the stolen assets are for the people of Liberia, emphasizing that they are only entrusted to care and manage them.
“These assets belong to the Liberian people,” the company stated. “Anyone entrusted with their care must uphold the highest standards of integrity.”
The company has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on internal theft, reinforcing its mission: “Keeping the Wheels of Industry Turning.”
