MONROVIA, Sept. 12 -- In January, RAC Incorporated, a mining firm owned by Randy Scott, who was involved in Liberia's largest mining scandal in Gbarpolu, acquired a gold-exploration license for Lofa County. The three-year license covers 210.76 square kilometers in the Zorzor and Salayea Districts.

But what the Ministry of Mines and Energy apparently did not notice was that at least one of RAC's documents was fake. A DayLight desk review found over a dozen inconsistencies on RAC's business registration certificate, ranging from dates to markings.

RAC's actual certificate was issued on August 1, 2023, and expired on July 26, 2024, according to the Business Registry's records. It has not been renewed. RAC was first registered on March 31, ...