The Ministry of Labour has dismissed its Inspector, Matthew J. Johns, for allegedly engaging in alien work permit fraud. According to a release sent to this publication on Monday, December 29, 2025, the Ministry said it took a decisive move aimed at curtailing malpractices, dismissing Labour Inspector Johns for issuing fake Alien Work Permits to expatriate workers for US$1,000.
The release states that the fee for an alien work permit is USD 300,000, noting that the action against labour inspector Matthew J. Johns, who was employed just in August 2024, is a strong deterrent to unscrupulous individuals bent on engaging in criminal and other malpractices that tarnish the good image of the Ministry and National Government.
Labour Minister Cllr. Cooper Kruah has warned staff and employees of the Ministry to be morally ethical and value-based, entering the New Year, so as to build upon gains made in 2025. The Labour Minister recounted President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s ‘Rescue Mission’ Government’s zero tolerance to corruption, fraud, and other malpractices in the public sector, with his ministry being no exception.
Meanwhile, dismissed Labour Inspector Johns has been turned over to the Liberia National Police (LNP) for prosecution. The dismissal of Mr. Johns could suggest a larger crisis of fraud in the Liberian labor sector, including payroll and insurance scams in public and private entities.
There had been allegations of existing Work Permit Fraud, with some reports suggesting that officials at the Ministry of Labour were involved in issuing fake work permits to foreign nationals, bypassing legal procedures and laws intended to protect local jobs. Officials are accused of collecting unauthorized fees and issuing counterfeit Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) receipts, potentially diverting thousands of dollars in government revenue.
In June of this year, the Ministry of Labour revoked 19 foreign work permits due to misrepresentation, as part of an Alien Work Permits Audit Exercise. The Ministry initiated a nationwide physical audit exercise that involved scrutinizing twenty-one businesses in Montserrado County. This led to the revocation of 19 work permits.
Labour Minister Cooper Kruah stated during the exercise that inspection teams thoroughly audited the work permits of foreign workers employed by various businesses, noting that some companies, when applying for work permits, listed different job titles while their employees were performing jobs that fell outside those permits.
