Liberia: Diamond Mineral Water Dismisses ‘False, Blackmail-Driven’ Reports — Says Products Are Safe, Pure, and Certified

Monrovia – The management of Diamond Mineral Water has strongly refuted recent social media claims that its bottled water is unsafe, describing the allegations as part of a sustained campaign of blackmail, harassment, and extortion by individuals posing as journalists and bloggers.

Addressing a press conference in Monrovia on Tuesday after a tour of the facility, Hawa Ndama, the company’s Human Resource Manager, denounced the reports as “false, misleading, and malicious,” stressing that Diamond Mineral Water maintains strict health and safety standards in all stages of its production process.

“These reports on social media are untrue. We have a group of people who call themselves journalists or bloggers, but their main aim is to intimidate businesses. They contact companies, make false claims, and demand money. When you refuse to pay, they publish damaging stories,” Ms. Ndama said.

She revealed that the company has received multiple threats and extortion attempts from individuals demanding money to prevent the publication of fabricated reports alleging that Diamond produces “dead” or contaminated water.

“The owner of Diamond Mineral Water, Mr. Atagari, drinks the same water we produce here. Why would we put our customers or our business at risk? Every batch is tested and monitored for days before it is released to the public,” she emphasized.

Ms. Ndama clarified that viral videos circulating on social media purporting to show contaminated Diamond water bottles are not recent and have been manipulated. She cited internal findings showing that one of the videos was recorded in 2023 and featured water not produced by Diamond Mineral Water.

“Some people are recycling old videos to tarnish our image. We urge the public and media institutions to verify information before sharing it online,” she cautioned.

She added that although management initially considered taking legal action against the perpetrators, the company has instead chosen to engage formal law enforcement channels.

“We are not taking this matter lightly. Our management will be reaching out to the Liberia National Police for a full investigation into these acts of extortion and blackmail,” Ms. Ndama stated.

Reaffirming the company’s commitment to quality, she said Diamond Mineral Water conducts quarterly laboratory analyses in compliance with national health standards, with results consistently meeting both local and international benchmarks.

She further dismissed claims of an unhygienic production environment, emphasizing that the company operates a modern, internationally certified facility where no direct human contact occurs during production.

“Even former employees and visiting engineers have confirmed that our factory meets international production standards. We are one of the top water producers in Liberia, and our reputation speaks for itself,” she concluded.

In a separate statement issued Monday evening, Diamond Mineral Water reiterated that the viral video being circulated is an old clip from 2023 being recycled to damage its reputation. The company reaffirmed that its water products are safe, pure, and fully certified, produced under stringent hygiene and quality control standards.

Management condemned the spread of misinformation and urged the public to verify facts before sharing unconfirmed reports online.

Diamond Mineral Water, one of Liberia’s leading bottled water brands, said it will continue cooperating with authorities to identify and prosecute individuals involved in cyber harassment and disinformation against legitimate businesses.