President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed the Police to investigate allegations by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng regarding the involvement of some government officials in illegal mining activities.
Checks by The Finder with the Police confirmed that the directive was issued last week.
Special Investigation Unit
Following the directive, the checks revealed that the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Headquarters has commenced investigation into the matter.
The former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation also alleged that even some staff at Jubilee House and New Patriotic Party (NPP) bigwigs are involved in illegal mining.
Ousted by persons in galamsey?
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng in a recent interview with the state broadcaster GBC alleged that he was ousted from his position to pave the way for NPP bigwigs and government officials to continue their galamsey activities.
“Let me tell you that I did not take one excavator for anything, they know the truth. Now things are coming up, we know those who are behind it and the party people who are there, people in government including Jubilee House who are doing galamsey and so on, even now.
“There was an orchestrated scheme, even within the party and government to get me out. Why is it that when I left now everyone is in the forest?”
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s son accused of mining in forest reserves
Jojo Frimpong-Boateng, the biological son of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was accused of having links with a company called Symphony Limited allegedly involved in mining in Ghana’s forest reserves.
Audio recording
While in office in 2020, an audio recording surfaced online with the voice of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng interacting with some persons believed to be NPP members and in the said recording, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was heard allegedly agreeing to granting them the green light to engage in galamsey.
Scandals of Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining
The Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) headed by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was hit by a number of scandals including corruption allegations levelled against some of its leaders as well as claims of 500 excavators seized from illegal small scale miners missing.
“Though the excavators were seized and taken to the district assemblies, the heavy-duty machines disappeared later from the premises of the assemblies,” he said.
CID arrest 6 in connection with missing excavators
The CID of the Ghana Police Service on Monday 3rd February, 2020, arrested six persons in connection with the missing excavators and other seized equipment from illegal miners in the country.
Among them is the suspended New Patriotic Party Central Regional Vice Chairman, Horace Ekow Ewusi.
The others include Frederick Ewusi, Joel Asamoah, Adam Haruna, Frank Gyan and John Arhin.
157 excavators
However, the then Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Kweku Asomah Cheremeh, said his outfit had 157 excavators in its possession.
There were 122 excavators in Adentan, 26 in Obuasi and nine in Tarkwa.
Following the scandals Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dissolved the IMCIM in January 2021 and assigned Lands and Natural Resources Ministry the lead role in the galamsey fight.
