The National Communications Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has called for the arrest and prosecution of former Minister of State at the Presidency, Rockson Bukari, over allegations of complicity in some illegal mining issues.

The former Upper East Regional Minister was heard on tape allegedly scheming to bribe a journalist to drop a story on a Chinese mining firm, Shaanxi Mining Company in the region.

He had told the journalist – Starr FM’s Upper East Region correspondent Edward Adeti – the publication would affect the relationship between the Chinese managers and the traditional authorities, specifically the Tongorana.

The minister has resigned on principle in the heat of the moment and the president, Nana Akufo-Addo, has accepted same.

But the NDC communicator wants some action taken against the former minister.

Speaking on TV3’s New Day Tuesday, Sammy Gyamfi intimated the resignation of the minister does not mean anything.

“The resignation of the minister is totally meaningless and useless until it leads to his prosecution and punishment, and the prosecution of all other crooked members of the Akufo-Addo government who have been found to compromise our fight against galamsey”, he said.

“The mere resignation of Rockson Bukari is no sufficient remedy for his offense, what we want to see is an immediate arrest and prosecution of Rockson Bukari and his punishment”, he reiterated.

Sammy Gyamfi questioned why the Chairman of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Charles Bissue, who was recently caught on tape, engaging in purported acts of bribery and corruption, is still at post as a public officer while Rockson Bukari resigns.

He stressed that the law is not respecter of persons and ought not be selective in applying it to public officers.