The Adhoc Ministerial Committee on illegal mining has strongly denied allegations by Kwame Baffoe, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, who claimed that leaders of Organised Labour demanded bribes to cancel a planned strike.

In a statement issued on Thursday, September 19, 2024, the Committee, chaired by Minister for National Security Albert Kan-Dapaah, dismissed the claims as “baseless and unfounded.”

The statement urged the public to disregard the allegations, emphasising that no financial demands were made during the committee’s talks with Organised Labour.

“The Committee hereby calls on the public to disregard the claims as same are baseless and unfounded. No such demand has been made and no such payment has been made either,” the statement read.

The committee reaffirmed the integrity of the discussions with labour leaders, noting that they were conducted transparently and without any form of inducement.

“The engagement between the Committee and Organised Labour was held in good faith and without inducement,” he said.

The Committee, which is focused on tackling illegal mining, reassured the public of its commitment to working collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders.

“We entreat the public to disregard such false claim," parts of the statement read, reiterating the committee’s ongoing dedication to addressing illegal mining concerns.