In Summary
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Montserrado County Senator Dillon claimed that during the administration of former Pres George Weah, the Government of Liberia received US$37 million from Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd. (formerly HPX)
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We fact-checked the claim by reviewing official government records and media reports, and found it to be correct
On January 20, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon claimed during an appearance on Prime FM claim that the administration of former President George Manneh Weah received US$37 million from Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd. (formerly HPX), and that the Legislature endorsed the payment in the 2022 budget.
Senator Dillon made the claim in response to concerns about the legal basis for HPX/Ivanhoe to claim that the amount is a debt owed by the Liberian government, given that the company allegedly had no binding contract with the government at the time the payment was made.
The Claim
Sen. Dillion’s claim: “The government of Liberia, under the former regime, took HPX US$37 million, and it was endorsed by the legislature then.”
Rating Justification
To verify the claim that HPX/Ivanhoe paid US$37 million to the Government of Liberia in 2022, we reviewed the 2022 national budget and revenue documents for that period.
The budget does not specifically list individual companies or single out Ivanhoe/HPX as the source of that amount.
However, further review identified a July 8, 2025, government press release titled “Government of Liberia and Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd. Sign Landmark Concession and Access Agreement.”
In the release, the government explicitly states that “the company made a US$37 million upfront payment to the previous administration.”
In the release, the Government of Liberia and Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd. had officially signed the Concession and Access Agreement (CAA) to modernize its rail and port infrastructure while fostering inclusive and sustainable mineral development.
Additionally, a Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) press release issued in 2024 listed Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd. among Liberia’s “Exemplary Taxpayers” and publicly acknowledged the company’s 2022 tax contributions, confirming that the company made a significant contribution to government revenues, although the exact amount was not disclosed.
This was also reported by several credible news outlets, including Daily Observer Newspaper and The New Dawn Newspaper, Africa Press, among others.
Conclusion
Based on a review of official government press releases and LRA records, we conclude that Senator Abraham Darius Dillon’s claim that US$37 million paid by HPX/Ivanhoe to the Weah administration is correct.
