Former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Charles Bisiw, has expressed his disappointment in Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, his former boss.
During an interview on Adom TV’s Badwam Show, he criticised Prof Frimpong-Boateng for not releasing a 35-page report on government officials involved in illegal mining when he was the chairman or minister. He said Prof Frimpong-Boateng deliberately delayed the release of the report for personal gain.
He went on to say that he was not surprised by the contents of the report, as he had helped to compile the documents while serving as the secretary.
However, he was disappointed that Prof Frimpong-Boateng, who is an elderly statesman with a good reputation, had not acted honestly. He questioned why Prof Frimpong-Boateng did not release the report when he had the chance to do so.
“I don’t need to read the report because I put most of the documents together as the secretary. So if you ask me, if I’m surprised, I’ll say no, I’ve heard some things but I’m rather disappointed in Prof.
“I know that elderly people are supposed to govern the state in a way that will benefit future generations. So I know that as old as Prof is, he is 70 plus old, and has served as chairman and with his good name, he will be honest.
“If you knew the truth and kept quiet that means there was a reason. The reason I say I’m disappointed is that when did he write that report? Why is it that when he was chairman or minister, he did not release that report?”
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who served as the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation during President Nana Akufo-Addo’s first term, submitted the names of some top government officials who were allegedly frustrating his efforts to fight illegal mining.
He had claimed that the rot went as high as the government seat at Jubilee House. Last month, President Nana Akufo-Addo asked the police to investigate the allegations.