Corruption Web Entangles Mines, Energy Ministry As Assistant, Deputy Ministers Linked To Taking Kickbacks To Shield Illegal Mining Operations

Monrovia, Liberia: Allegations of receiving kickbacks from a Chinese national only identified as Williams have emerged against Carlos Edison Tingban, the Assistant Minister for Mines at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The accusation finger has been pointed at Assistant Minister Tingban, who K-NEWS investigation has gathered is providing protection for the Chinese national who is allegedly engaged in the illegal exploitation of Liberia’s mining sector.

A source at the Mines and Energy Ministry who spoke with K-NEWS on the condition of secrecy explained that the assistant minister has been directly involved in facilitating and shielding illegal mining operations, particularly those involving foreign nationals, for kickbacks.

Our informant disclosed that a Chinese national using “Williams” as his Liberian identity, who is reportedly engaged in illicit mining activities in the Youth Camp area of Bentol City, Rural Montserrado County, is being protected by Assistant Minister Tingban.

According to the source, the assistant minister allegedly received a sum of five thousand United States dollars (USD 5,000) from Williams to allow his illegal mining operations to continue unimpeded in the Youth Camp Community.

These allegations paint a picture that suggests authorities who are tasked with the responsibility to police illegal mining activities across the county have suddenly become facilitators of illegal mining for personal financial gain, thereby denying the government much-needed revenue.

K-NEWS also gathered through our anonymous source that Tingban few weeks back, was allegedly paid two thousand United States dollars (US$2000) by mining agent Amos Wheaton to secure an assignment to the Gbarma Mining District located in Cape Mount County. 

Our source also linked Deputy Mines and Energy Minister for Operation William S. Hines to allegedly receiving five hundred United States dollars (US$500) from mining agent Amos Wheaton to prevail on Assistant Minister Tingban to expedite his (Wheaton's) change of assignment to Gbarma Mining District.

Assistant Minister Tingban has also been accused of routinely collecting bribe money from mining agents across Liberia’s 15 counties to maintain or change assignments.

An investigative tour by K-NEWS at the Youth Camp in Bentol City established that heavy machinery was seen moving from length to length transporting what residents confirmed was sand from underground that was carried for gravel washing.

Several attempts to speak with some Liberians who worked at the mining site did not materialize, as they remained tight-lipped on the matter. K-NEWS also observed that the inscription on the facility hosting offices at the mining site and the large scale of machines carry Chinese writings.

This situation denied our investigation the actual identity of the Chinese company engaged in the illegal mining and rock-crushing activities in the Youth Camp Community of Bentol City.  

A Chinese national who seems to be the supervisor on shift pretentiously took advantage of the language barrier and did not answer our inquiry.

However, a resident only identified as Lourina confirmed to K-NEWS how the illegal mining and rock-crushing operations have negatively affected the communities where several homes have experienced cracks due to the impact of the rock-crushing activities.

According to her, the illegal mining and rock-crushing activities in Youth Camp started in 2016. She alleged that the Chinese are being protected by higher-ups in government and the county authority that she did not identify.

When K-NEWS contacted the Communication Department of Mines and Energy, Communication Director Richard Manubah, on Monday, April 21, 2025, informed our Editorial Desk that Minister Wilmot S. Paye had mandated him (Manubah) to decline comment on the allegation.

“The Minister has instructed me to give you the go ahead and publish your story, as the Ministry has declined speaking on the matter,” Ministry of Mines, Energy Communication Director told K-NEWS Editorial Desk

These developments raise serious questions about the integrity of the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Several studies established that illegal mining carries numerous negative implications for mining communities, the environment, and human health. These include destruction of social fabric of mining communities through bribery of workers, threats of violence, prostitution, child labor, substance abuse fires and fall-of-ground incidents

Environmental risks such as the formation of sinkholes, contamination of soil and groundwater, loss of biodiversity, and chemical leakages; devastation of the environment resulting from deforestation; and water, air, and soil pollution through the release of toxic chemicals all form a part of the negative effects associated with illegal mining.

Corruption, forced population displacements, human rights violations, and health add to the list of negative effects of illegal mining.