By: Emmanuel Koffa|Grand Kru County Correspondent
Grand Kru County, Liberia –Tuesday, September 2, 2025-The Commander of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Grand Kru Detachment, Michael Jipply has been accused of intimidation and harassment of peaceful miners by Washington Weah, the Regional Coordinator for the Ministry of Mines and Energy. This conflict underscores ongoing tensions between law enforcement and the mining community in the region.
Reports indicate that the allegations also involve several unidentified security agencies within the county.
Speaking to Journalists in Barclayville, Washington Weah publicly accused Commander Jipply of employing divisive tactics against miners, claiming that the commander has used threats and intimidation to disrupt lawful mining activities.
The allegations have raised concerns about the conduct of security personnel and their interaction with local communities engaged in small-scale mining.
In light of these accusations, it has been reported that an investigation into Commander Jipply is currently underway in the capital, Monrovia, to establish the facts surrounding the allegations and determine the appropriate actions moving forward.
According to reports, the controversy centers on a specific incident where Commander Jipply allegedly received 37.3 grams of gold that had been confiscated from a local business woman in Grand Kru County.
Washington Weah claims that instead of forwarding the gold to the appropriate responsible agencies, Jipply has withheld it, prompting questions about his conduct and adherence to legal protocols.
He believed that the actions of the LDEA Grand Kru Commander, Michael Jipply and some other unidentified securities within the county have created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among local miners.
However, in a striking rebuttal from Monrovia, Commander Jipply has dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and “funny.” He asserts that the claims made by Weah are unfounded and that he has not engaged in any act that borders on wrongdoing.
“But I am not even in the County, and how someone will say that I harassing miners? My man, don’t listen to that thing yeah, Jipply denied. “I don’t want to give credence to this kind of unnecessary and baseless accusation my man, Jipply declined. I just left the county just yesterday, in fact, I am in Monrovia now for an emergency meeting for a importance thing, and so who is the region C Coordinator that will call you to tell you that thing? Me and miners get issue or we can even talk? He questioned.”
Michael Jipply staunch denial suggests a possible divide between law enforcement and regulatory bodies overseeing the mining sector, complicating an already tense situation.
The situation calls for immediate attention to ensure the protection of local miners’ rights while upholding the rule of law.
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