Monrovia – A Chinese investor has accused the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), Sekou A.M. Dukuly, of orchestrating a scheme to remove fellow Chinese businessman Yang Dan from a multimillion-dollar Liberian-registered company, Duke Global Limited.
The company, which has attracted nearly US$6 million in foreign capital, is reportedly backed by Yang Dan and several overseas partners. The dispute adds a new dimension to ongoing legal battles and raises concerns about the involvement of public officials in private business dealings.
The allegations surfaced following the publication of a story by The Independent Newspaper titled “Chinese Dupe Chinese,” which claimed Yang Dan had defrauded fellow investors. However, Ding Li Jun, one of the key investors, has refuted the article’s claims and instead accused Mr. Dukuly of misleading the group.
Speaking to Liberian journalists via mobile phone from China on Wednesday, June 18, Ding Li Jun alleged that Dukuly had visited China last year and told investors that Yang Dan was involved in fraudulent activity. According to Ding, Dukuly convinced them not to trust Yang and invited them to Liberia earlier this year.
“Sekou came to China and told us Yang was involved in fraudulent activities. Based on that, we traveled to Liberia this March at his invitation. He immediately took us to a law firm and instructed them to file a lawsuit against Yang,” Ding said through an English interpreter. “We didn’t fully understand what was happening because we don’t speak English.”
Ding added that upon arrival in Liberia, he and the other investors visited Duke Global Limited’s facilities and found that Yang’s claims about the water plant and other infrastructure were true.
“Everything Yang told us was true,” Ding stated. “It now seems the lawsuit was filed by Sekou through his lawyers after we left Liberia.”
Ding claims that Dukuly’s motive was to use the Liberian legal system to remove Yang from the company and take control of the business.
“He wanted Yang pushed out of the investment using the court system. It’s now clear to me that he was never sincere,” Ding said. “I don’t trust him again. I have no confidence in Sekou anymore.”
Yang Dan arrived in Liberia in 2022 seeking investment opportunities and was introduced to Dukuly by a Chinese hotel manager. Following discussions, Dukuly was invited to China where he agreed to form a business partnership with Yang and his partners.
Subsequently, Duke Global Limited was registered in Liberia. Dukuly reportedly contributed US$350,000, which he later attempted to recover. Meanwhile, Yang and his partners invested US$2.6 million to build a water bottling plant. Plans were also developed to launch a mining operation, with Dukuly allegedly requesting an additional US$1.2 million for licenses and permits.
The new allegations, if verified, could have broader implications for Liberia’s business environment and raise ethical questions regarding the role of public officials in private investments. Although the reported transactions occurred before Dukuly assumed leadership at the National Port Authority, the situation has intensified calls for transparency and accountability.
