Exton Cubic Group Limited, a mining company at the Nyinahini Bauxite Concession has described the Ashanti Regional Minister’s move against one of their sub-contractors, Engineers and Planners (E&P), as unlawful.

According to the company, it received the news with shock because they contracted E&P to undertake preparatory works at its legally acquired Nyinahini Bauxite Concession after all the necessary procedures had been taken to secure the concession.

“It came to us as a surprise when without any lawful excuse the District Chief Executive of the Atwima Mponua District Assembly and the Ashanti Regional Minister caused the trucks of our subcontractor to be impounded in the centre of the Nyinahini Township. We are yet to receive any official communication from the authorities concerned as to why our sub-contractors’ trucks and equipment have been impounded,” they noted.

Being directly affected by this development, Exton Group in a press statement expressed great concern about the fact that the Ashanti Regional Minister and the District Chief Executive of the Atwima Mponua District Assembly authorized the confiscation of the E&P trucks.

The minister, Simon Osei-Mensah who believes E&P are operating illegally, seized some of their trucks and made it clear that the equipment will remain confiscated until documents are produced to prove the legality of E&P’s activities in the mining area.

The minister's claim did not go down well with the Exton Group as attacking their contractors also meant attacking them.

The group revealed in their statement that they as a company are operating legally and so are their contractors, debunking the minister's claim that E&P is operating illegally.

“We wish to state unequivocally that Exton Cubic Group Limited has never engaged in any illegal mining activity in Ghana. Like all major mining concerns in Ghana, Exton Cubic Group has engaged the services of E&P to undertake preparatory works at its legally acquired Nyinahini Bauxite Concession,” they said.