George Mireku Duker, a deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has denied allegations leveled against him that he was involved in illegal mining in the Western Region. “Please ignore these baseless allegations” a statement issued by the Deputy Minister said. Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV, the Dompim-Pepesa Chief in the Western Region had accused some government officials, including Mr. Duker of being behind the illegal mining menace in the country. But, the lawmaker in reaction to the allegations levelled against him by the said chief noted: "I wish to state emphatically that I don’t have any links to the activities of any form of illegal mining anywhere.” He added: "These deliberate false representations made against me by a rival claimant to the Dompim Pepesa Divisional Stool. are needless, baseless, vain and unfortunate. Meanwhile, he said he’d instructed his Lawyers to sue the self-acclaimed Chief of Dompim-Pepesa immediately.