Suspects Obed Burikoney, Ghanaian and a Chinese national, Jack Chen, have been arrested in an operation conducted by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS). The two men were apprehended for illicit mining activities in in Tuzohn, Grand Gedeh County.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy’s Compliance Enforcement Team alleged that the men were caught operating semi-mechanized mining equipment, including excavators, under a Class ‘C’ Mining License. Authorities stated that such operations violate the Minerals and Mining Law of Liberia, especially in terms of environmental protection and procedural compliance.
The suspects were handed over to the LNP Sinoe County Detachment with headquarters in Greenville City, Sinoe County. They are in police custody undergoing preliminary investigation before being prosecuted by the Ministry of Justice.
The Mines and Energy compliance team also reached out to the Atlantic Mineral Company’s Heavy Mineral Sand (HMS) processing site in Morgan Community, Greenville. The team found that the company is allegedly operating without a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which should clearly state benefits for communities. They also alleged that Atlantic Mineral Company has Vietnamese, who do not have immigration documents, in their employ.
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Wilmot Paye, has stressed that these compliance enforcements are intended on cleaning up the mining sector to rid the sector of unscrupulous individuals whose intention is to bypass lawful procedures and cause environmental degradation in communities across the country, and refuse to pay revenue needed to support national development programs.
More updates will be provided from the field operations of the Ministry of Mines and Energy in the southeastern region of the Country.
