SLMMDC in Alleged Blackmail Plot Against Gento Group
A storm is brewing in Sierra Leone’s mineral sector, and at the eye of it stands the Sierra Leone Mines and Mineral Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDC). Serious allegations have surfaced accusing the state-linked corporation of orchestrating a covert scheme to blackmail the influential Gento Group — a major player in national infrastructure and mining investments.
Sources close to the unfolding scandal suggest that high-ranking officials within SLMMDC have been quietly maneuvering to undermine Gento Group’s operations, allegedly aiming to discredit the company through a campaign of intimidation, misinformation, and bureaucratic sabotage. Leaked documents and whistleblower testimonies now indicate that the Corporation may have sought to weaponize regulatory frameworks and obscure audit procedures to tarnish the reputation of the company and derail its expanding projects across the country.
According to a leaked letter signed by PC Sheku Magba Koroma III of Diang Chiefdom and dated 04 .6.2025 addressed to the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, the three Paramount Chiefs who signed the land lease agreement with Gento Group of Companies stated, ‘’The women and youths in our chiefdom made it clearly in a meeting held that it’s their fundamental Human rights as land owners to accept and support the company that is coming into our chiefdom for mining and in the case of Kasafoni area, Tonkolili North mining concession we have unanimously agreed to lease our land to the Gento Group of Companies a 100% Sierra Leonean owned company.’’
However, the Sierra Leone Mining and minerals Development and Management Corporation is counter claiming that the Kasafoni is under the exclusive legal authority of the Corporation which alone is empowered to determine, manage, and authorize any… related to the asset.
Suggestion from wider circles say that the Kasafoni issue may not be an isolated incident, but part of a broader culture of alleged corruption and institutional manipulation within certain corners of Sierra Leone’s mineral oversight agencies. Observers warn that if true, this scandal could shake investor confidence at a time when the nation desperately needs direct foreign investment to bolster its economy and create jobs for its youthful population.
The Gento Group, long known for its ambitious infrastructure ventures and its growing interest in sustainable mining practices, has remained publicly silent on the matter — but insiders reveal the company is preparing a legal and media counter offensive to expose what they describe as “a politically motivated witch-hunt.”
Civil society groups, transparency advocates, and pro-reform voices within the government are now calling for an urgent independent investigation into the allegations. “The integrity of our mineral sector is at stake,” said a legal analyst who requested anonymity. “If regulatory agencies are weaponized for personal vendettas or political rivalries, Sierra Leone’s reputation as a serious business destination could suffer irreparable harm.”
As the scandal deepens, the people of Sierra Leone are left asking: Who benefits from sabotaging private enterprise? And how many more such plots remain hidden in the shadows of our governance institutions?
One thing is clear — the full truth must come to light, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for those in positions of power.
