Strategic Thinkers Network-Africa (STRANEK-Africa) has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the contents of a 36-page report by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng on illegal small-scale mining.
The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) in its petition dated May 2, 2023, implored the Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute individuals indicted in the said report.
“Having in mind the objective of your office which is trite knowledge, we pray for an alacritous action by probing the Prof. Frimpong-Boateng Galamsey Report and prosecute all government officials, NP functionaries and persons who have perpetrated serious crimes against the State as contained in the report. A hard copy of the Galamsey Report has been annexed to this petition,” the group stated having highlighted some details in the 2021 report by the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Background:
Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng named Members of Parliaments and top government officials who are allegedly involved in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in Ghana in the 2021 report.
Portions of the galamsey report indicated that these MPs and government officials were either directly involved in galamsey or were using their power to protect relations who were involved in the menace.
The 36-page report, which Prof Frimpong-Boateng addressed to the Chief of Staff implicated the former MP for Manso Nkwanta, Joseph Albert Quarm; director of operations at the presidency, Lord Commey; executive assistant and head of social media at the presidency, Charles Nii Teiko; and Frank Asiedu Bekoe, director of political affairs at the Office of the Chief of Staff.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng also accused the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, of hatching a plot to bring him down over his (Frimpong Boateng’s) fight against the menace.
Even though some officials of the government who were implicated have refuted the allegation in the report, the Office of the President has indicated that it (the report) was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President.
It described the report as a catalogue of personal grievances by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, intended to respond to some issues he faced as chairperson of the IMCIM.
It added that whilst Prof Frimpong-Boateng makes serious allegations against some government appointees, as having been involved in, supporting or interfering with the fight against illegal mining, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated.
The Office of the President described the allegations contained in the document as hearsay.
Read the petition by STRANEK-Africa below:
Meanwhile, watch the latest episode of People and Places on GhanaWeb TV below:
Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng
