The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice has declared that the allegations made by former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, in his report on illegal mining activities in the country lack substantial evidence to warrant the prosecution of the individuals mentioned.

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This comes after a comprehensive review of a docket submitted by the police regarding the accusations outlined in Prof. Frimpong Boateng's 36-page document titled "Report on the work of IMCIM so far and the way forward."Prof. Frimpong-Boateng provided a list of government officials who, according to him, obstructed his anti-illegal mining efforts during his tenure as the Environment Minister.

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In the document he submitted, the distinguished surgeon named specific individuals whom he alleges hindered both his personal efforts and the progress of the committee he led in combatting the issue commonly referred to as 'galamsey.'“Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President’s commitment to protecting the environment.

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“I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the national to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers, or relatives engaged in illegal mining. Most of them engaged Chinese working for them. “I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do.

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“There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace,” excerpts of the document said.

Frimpong also leveled allegations against a former NPP Member of Parliament from the Ashanti Region, asserting that this individual was involved in selling unlawfully obtained mining concessions for the sum of

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GH¢200,000 each.According to him, this “infuriated the party in the constituency so during the 2020 primaries to select a candidate the electorate voted against NPP MP, the then sitting MP, who was more resourced than other candidates.Nevertheless, some of the individuals named in the report refuted the allegations.

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Following these developments, the esteemed heart surgeon and founder of the National Cardiothoracic Center underwent questioning by the police, and a report detailing the findings was subsequently forwarded to the Attorney-General for guidance and recommendations.

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Now, the Attorney-General's advice, dated Tuesday, September 12, and conveyed to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, September 14, and signed by Chief State Attorney Evelyn Keelson, states that it cannot recommend the prosecution of any of the individuals cited in the report.

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Consequently, the Attorney-General has instructed the police to release the individuals mentioned from any legal action, with the exception of those who are still under ongoing investigation.

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"The Attorney-General indicates that a careful study of the Report, the various documents and pen drives submitted to the Police did not disclose any evidence in support of the allegations made against the persons cited in the Report, with the exception of Seth Mantey, John Ofori Atta and Ekow Ewusi, in respect of whom the A-G instructs the Police to conclude their investigations and present a report to him.

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""The A-G’s advice, however, notes that even though the Police diary of action shows that John Ofori Atta was invited by the police, there is no indication that he was interviewed or that a statement was taken from him. There is also no statement from Mr Ekow Ewusi on the docket. The A-G instructed the Police to wind up investigations on that issue and furnish him with a report on same.

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"Hence claims against the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Charles Owusu, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, Reynolds Kwabi, a Director of Heritage Imperial Company Limited, Joseph Albert Quarm, Captain (rtd) Edmund Kojo Koda have not been proven.REPORT ON ALLEGED INVOLVEME... by The Independent Ghana

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