Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has rejected claims that the soldiers deployed to fight against illegal small scale mining (Galamsey) are seizing gold from the illegal miners.

He said no soldier will risk his career to engage in that act.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday June 2, he said “I have been hearing people forcing the Armed Forces to accept that they have seized things that they have not seized.

“The Armed Forces have not seized any gold. If they have seized any gold they will declare it. It is not possible for 420 officers and men to hide anything they have seized, it is simply not possible.”
He added no officer “will risk his career and the livelihood of his family because he wants to pick an ounce of gold and hide it.

“It is not possible. If they have seized gold I would have stated it. They haven’t seized any gold that is why I did not state it".

“The day they will find a quantity of gold or even small pieces of gold I will say it but for now they have not we have not seized anything like that that is why I have not given an update on that particular one.”