Former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and a former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has hit back at the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, for downplaying his report on illegal mining otherwise known as ‘galamsey’.
The Attorney-General in an advice dated September 12, 2023, to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service on September 14, 2023, said the former chairman failed to provide the necessary evidence to back his report for the prosecution of persons indicted.
In a response to the Attorney-General, Professor Frimpong-Boateng in a statement pointed out that the destruction of the water bodies by alleged criminals will be evident in the future.
“I am not at all surprised with that characterization by the Attorney General. We can all close our eyes and bagatellize the destruction of the environment and its biodiversity, but the reality of these criminal actions by people who have no conscience and love for the country will be evident in the near future if not soon,” he stated.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng in the galamsey report accused some stalwarts of the New Patriotic Party of engaging in galamsey and interfering in the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) which he (Prof. Frimpong-Boateng) chaired.
Read below a statement by Professor Frimpong-Boateng
RESPONSE TO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S REPORT
Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng
My attention has been drawn to a publication dated 12th September 2023 by the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Justice concerning the report on illegal mining that I presented to the Office of the Chief of Staff at the Presidency in March 2021.
The Attorney General is of the opinion that the report dated 19th March 2021 (and not 19th March 2019 as stated by the Attorney General), contains claims that are unfounded and lack the supporting documentation necessary to bring the named parties to justice.
I am not at all surprised with that characterization by the Attorney General. According to a Graphic Online report filed by Kweku Zurek as far back as 22nd April 2023, the Office of the President was said to have referred to the report as a catalogue of personal grievances and that the claims in the report were unfounded and amounted to hearsay.
Attorney General, Godfred Dame, followed up and advised that little attention be given to Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng’s report on illegal mining. This was reported in the Editorial of the Online TODAY on 12th May 2023.
If the Attorney General comes back in September 2023 and reports that … “we do not find any evidence in support of the allegations made against the persons cited in the Report with the exception of….”, I am not surprised. I would have been extremely surprised if AG’s opinion had been otherwise.
I guess the Attorney General, the Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II was also wrong and had no evidence when he said politicians and powerful businessmen are behind the wanton destruction of lands and water bodies, as reported by Ohemeng Tawiah on MyJoyOnline on 26th October 2022.
I also believe, to the Attorney General, there are no party people involved in illegal mining; there are no government appointees churning the soils in our forests and farmlands for gold; there are no Chinese engaged in illegal mining. We are to believe that all the documentaries filed by Mr. Erastus Asare Donkor on illegal mining are untrue and fake. I wish the Attorney General would have told Ghanaians why there was no action on my report and waited for more than two years when I have been out of office to now tell Ghanaians that, there is no evidence to prosecute those implicated in the report.
We can all close our eyes and bagatellize the destruction of the environment and its biodiversity, but the reality of these criminal actions by people who have no conscience and love for the country will be evident in the near future if not soon.