By Socrates Smythe Saywon | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Former Minister of Mines and Energy Wilmot Paye has launched an extraordinary public attack against Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, accusing the country’s second-highest elected official of attempting to influence the handling of a major academic fraud scandal and pursuing political ambitions that threaten cohesion within the ruling Unity Party.
Appearing on Spoon Talk on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Paye unleashed a barrage of explosive allegations and political accusations that highlighted deepening cracks within the ruling establishment, fueling fresh concerns about internal power struggles and growing tensions within the Unity Party-led government.
Among his most serious claims, Paye alleged that his dismissal from government was partly connected to his refusal to participate in efforts aimed at shielding former Commerce Inspector General D. Dorr Cooper from accountability during the widely publicized University of Liberia academic fraud scandal.
According to Paye, when questions emerged surrounding Cooper’s academic credentials, Vice President Koung allegedly contacted him and sought assistance through Paye’s wife, a lecturer at the University of Liberia, to suppress information related to the case.
Paye said he flatly rejected the request.
“I advised that Cooper should resign,” Paye declared, maintaining that he refused to involve his wife in any effort to protect the former Commerce official.
He further alleged that his stance ultimately placed him at odds with powerful political figures within government and contributed to his eventual removal as Minister of Mines and Energy.
As of press time, neither Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, the Office of the Vice President, nor the Executive Mansion had issued a public response to the allegations.
The accusations revive public attention on the Dorr Cooper scandal, one of the most controversial academic fraud cases in recent Liberian history.
University of Liberia investigators concluded that Cooper fraudulently obtained a degree in Public Administration despite allegedly never being properly enrolled. The university’s investigative committee recommended criminal prosecution and found that several university employees had allegedly participated in facilitating the scheme.
Investigators further alleged that manipulated academic records and the unauthorized use of another student’s information were used to secure Cooper’s credentials. The findings resulted in the revocation of his degree, disciplinary measures against university personnel, and mounting public demands for accountability.
Under increasing pressure, Cooper resigned as Commerce Inspector General in May 2025, and President Joseph Nyuma Boakai subsequently accepted the resignation.
But Paye’s revelations went far beyond the Cooper controversy.
In an interview marked by open defiance, the former minister accused Vice President Koung and Representative Thomas Fallah of building what he described as a parallel political structure designed to challenge the Unity Party’s future dominance.
“Thomas Fallah and Jeremiah Koung founded NIMBO. It is a political party they are forming, and Unity Party members would be naive to think these people are interested in working with them,” Paye asserted.
He accused unnamed political actors of positioning themselves for power while undermining potential rivals within the governing establishment.
“They want to replace the Unity Party. Do they think we don’t know that? They are targeting all the potential people in the Unity Party and fighting them, thinking it will give them an advantage. That strategy will not work. They will not replace the Unity Party,” he said.
Paye also alleged that Vice President Koung viewed him as a political obstacle because of perceived alliances within the ruling establishment.
“The Vice President didn’t want me at the Ministry of Mines and Energy; he said I don’t support his 2029 ambition to become President. He accused me of being a Ngafuan guy,” Paye claimed.
The former minister disclosed that he maintains a close political relationship with Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and suggested that discussions about Liberia’s post-Boakai political future are already influencing decisions within government.
His comments appear likely to fuel debate over whether senior government officials are becoming distracted by succession politics despite President Boakai’s repeated warnings that members of his administration should focus on governance rather than the 2029 presidential election.
President Boakai has previously cautioned public officials against premature political maneuvering and has publicly indicated that those more interested in future elections than current responsibilities should step aside from government service.
Paye further escalated his criticism by alleging that certain officials are seeking to remove perceived obstacles in preparation for future political contests.
“I will fight back. They want to use me as a scapegoat to divert the Liberian people’s attention from some of the stupidity that has happened already in this government. You can’t run away from your shadow,” he declared.
In perhaps his most dramatic allegation, Paye claimed to possess sensitive documents relating to Liberia’s mineral resources and accused unnamed individuals of attempting to transfer valuable mining interests for personal benefit.
“These people think they are smart, but they are actually the ones we should be prosecuting because their hands were in the cookie jar,” he said.
“With all the things they’re involved in, do they think the people of Liberia don’t know them? I have sensitive documents showing how they sold out some of our important mineral deposits. I intercepted the deeds they tried to transfer to other companies in the country. So they’re afraid. They wanted me out of the way so they could do whatever they wanted, but I will fight back.”
The allegations have added a new political dimension to his removal from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and are likely to intensify scrutiny of the internal power struggles and dynamics within the Unity Party-led government.
While Paye’s claims remain unverified and no independent evidence has yet been publicly presented to support several of the allegations, his remarks have injected fresh controversy into an administration already facing increasing public debate over governance, transparency, accountability, and succession politics.
The interview raises questions about whether growing political maneuvering for 2029 is beginning to overshadow governance priorities at a time when many Liberians remain focused on economic hardship, unemployment, corruption concerns, infrastructure challenges, healthcare delivery, and the government’s development agenda.
For now, the spotlight has shifted from Paye’s dismissal to the serious accusations he has leveled against some of the country’s most influential political figures. The claims could further expose divisions within the ruling establishment if left unanswered.
