A fierce internal power struggle has erupted within Liberia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, centered around the control and allocation of mineral licenses—particularly in the high-stakes Heavy Mineral Sands (HMS) sector.
At the heart of the controversy are explosive allegations of corruption, political interference, and personal ambition that threaten to derail ongoing reforms within the ministry.
A detailed and strongly worded statement circulating among policy observers and mining stakeholders has named Walter McCarthy, a prominent figure in the sector, and Sumo Momodu, a public employee alleged to be his surrogate, as key actors in a plot to wrest control of licensing decisions from senior ministry officials.
“The Liberian people must now be awakened to a dangerous and calculated scheme of sabotage orchestrated by Walter McCarthy and his known proxy, Sumo Momodu,” the statement warns. “A conspiracy driven by sheer greed, corruption, and the unrelenting thirst for primitive accumulation of wealth at the expense of national interest.”
According to the statement, McCarthy’s initial political maneuvering was aimed at unseating Minister Wilmot J.M. Paye through lobbying efforts in top government circles.
After that failed, he allegedly shifted his focus toward discrediting and removing two assistant ministers—Carlos E. Tingban, Sr., Assistant Minister for Mines, and Oliver Gbegbe, Assistant Minister for Planning, Research & Development—who have reportedly resisted political pressure over mineral license decisions.
“Ministers Tingban and Gbegbe have become thorns in Mr. McCarthy’s side for one reason: only their refusal to participate in or be silent about this orchestrated looting of national resources,” the statement alleges.
It adds that the two assistant ministers are being targeted because they are standing in the way of what the statement describes as “a blatant attempt to monopolize and control” Liberia’s mineral wealth.
One of the central events in the unfolding power struggle is the cancellation of all Heavy Mineral Sands (HMS) licenses last year—a move that drew sharp criticism at the time. According to the statement, this sweeping action was not carried out in the public interest, but instead orchestrated by McCarthy to clear the field and create opportunities for his affiliates.
“It is an open secret that through surreptitious maneuvering and with the help of his entrenched proxies inside the Ministry of Mines and Energy, he succeeded in the outrageous and unprincipled cancellation of all HMS mining licenses,” the statement claims.
“This naked power grab reveals the depth of his disdain for due process, fair competition, and public accountability.”
Sources within the ministry describe the move as part of a broader strategy to influence who gets access to mineral licenses—an area that has long been plagued by opacity and political interference in Liberia.
Adding fuel to the fire, the statement accuses Sumo Momodu of playing a central role in the alleged conspiracy. He is described as a “walking embodiment of double-dealing and corruption” and is alleged to be illegally collecting dual salaries from both the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the University of Liberia.
“For years, he has received taxpayers’ money from the Ministry of Mines and Energy while simultaneously drawing a full salary at the University of Liberia,” the statement alleges. “This is not just unethical, it is criminal.”
The authors claim that Momodu is being positioned to replace one of the assistant ministers, giving McCarthy more influence over future decisions in the licensing process.
“Yet this is the individual Mr. McCarthy seeks to impose on the Liberian people to replace a minister who has fought tirelessly to clean up a sector plagued by individuals exactly like them.”
In response to an unfolding institutional crisis, the authors of the statement are calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, the National Legislature, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), and the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to intervene and investigate.
They are demanding a full inquiry into the cancellation of HMS licenses and the motives behind it, Walter McCarthy’s alleged policy interference and backroom lobbying, Sumo Momodu’s violation of civil service regulations and dual employment, and the political pressure being placed on Assistant Ministers Tingban and Gbegbe.
“We will not sit idle while predators in suits attempt to cannibalize our national resources,” the statement declares. “The Liberian people deserve transparency, integrity, and leaders who serve the public good—not a coterie of well-connected individuals plotting in the shadows to satisfy their selfish and corrupt desires.”
The statement concludes with a strong endorsement of Assistant Ministers Tingban and Gbegbe, calling them “patriotic and diligent public servants” who have resisted personal enrichment in favor of national interest.
“We stand with Ministers Tingban and Gbegbe in their principled stance. We reject and denounce in the strongest terms the schemes of Walter McCarthy and his corrupt cohorts. Liberia’s mineral wealth must benefit the Liberian people—not the few.”
As of the time of reporting, neither Walter McCarthy nor Sumo Momodu has responded publicly to the allegations despite calls and text messages sent. However, the Ministry of Mines and Energy communication department who could not release any official comment but also extended an invitation to this paper to meet the Minister today (Wednesday) to speak on the allegations.
