Former Deputy Minister for Gender, Research Planning and Policy, Hassan Karneh, has issued a statement condemning the operations of Bea Mountain Mining Company (BMMC), characterizing the issue as a national emergency rather than a problem confined to Grand Cape Mount County.
In his critique, Karneh alleged that Liberia’s Mineral Development Agreements (MDAs) operate against the interests of ordinary citizens, crafting agreements that enrich senior officials while impoverishing the populace. He cited the recent amended deal with ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML)—granting the steel giant an additional 50 years—as a prime example of disregard for the social and economic well-being of communities in Nimba, Bong, and Grand Bassa counties.
Focusing on Bea Mountain, Karneh accused the company of tax evasion, corruption, and obstructing the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) from properly analyzing royalties on gold bars lifted daily. He further alleged that the firm exhibits “deep occultist behavior” among high-level government officials.
Karneh specifically named Grand Cape Mount County Senator Simeon Taylor as an orchestrator of what he called systemic “weakedness” against the county and the nation. According to Karneh, Taylor personally expedited the signing of an extension to the Bea Mountain agreement on September 23, 2023, for personal gain at the expense of poor Liberians.
The former deputy minister also accused BMMC of playing a “double game” by sponsoring the Unity Party’s (UP) campaign with over 22 pickup trucks and substantial financial contributions. He alleged that the company sought to unleash violence on the people of Cape Mount had there been opposition to the agreement, and claimed the current UP government followed through by killing residents in Kinjor early in its tenure.
Karneh referenced a recent visit by Vice President Jeremiah Koung to Kinjor, during which a Turkish manager reportedly misrepresented daily gold production figures. Karneh illustrated the alleged scale of underreporting: if each gold bar sells for 3 million United States dollars, he argued, and a 24-hour operation produces multiple bars, monthly revenues could reach 270 million and annual revenues up to 3.7 billion United States dollars. He described the situation as “complete weakedness.”
Calling for immediate prosecution of Senator Simeon Taylor and all implicated officials, Karneh demanded that the government restructure and redesign Bea Mountain’s MDA agreement without delay. If the company cannot comply, he insisted, it must leave Liberia immediately. He further asserted that the American owners of Bea Mountain should be held liable for alleged carnage and mistreatment against Liberian citizens.
