General News of Thursday, 7 December 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

I am battling five court cases over my galamsey report – Frimpong-Boateng

Former Minister for Environment, Information, Science and Technology, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng Former Minister for Environment, Information, Science and Technology, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng

Former Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has revealed that he is facing five separate legal actions over his 2021 report on illegal mining submitted to the president.

Speaking at a recent national dialogue on galamsey organised by Joynews, Frimpong-Boateng said his report which indicted several persons within the government and the ruling New Patriotic Party, has led to an avalanche of legal cases being thrown against him.

“Right now, there are five court cases against me because of the report that I wrote and so on, mentioning certain names and now I am in court because of that,” he stated.

He noted that the fight against illegal mining has turned out to be difficult with state agencies proving ineffective in their duties of battling the canker due to the role of various influential people within the galamsey space.

“The thing is that their hands are bound, powerful people in the party, in the society in government; when I say party, all the parties in Ghana, and rich people who have power and influence, they are behind (galamsey). The Forestry Commission CEO or whatever he can’t do anything,” he said.

It can be recalled that Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, who served as the former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) submitted names of persons in government who he said frustrated his effort to fight illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey.

He indicted several government and party officials including former New Patriotic Party MP in the Ashanti Region, Joseph Albert Quarm of selling illegally acquired concessions at GH¢200,000 each.

However, some of the persons indicted in the report have refuted these claims made by Prof Frimpong-Boateng.

GA/SARA


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