Although the office of the Special Prosecutor has launched an investigation into the report on illegal mining by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, has expressed his disbelief in the report’s relevance to current events.
According to him, he will only accept its findings after the investigative authority has reviewed it.
He emphasised the need for individuals named in the report to be given the opportunity to speak as part of the ongoing investigations.
“We are waiting for the Special Prosecutor to come up with its investigations. Yes, he has mentioned names but those whose names have been mentioned should also be given the opportunity to speak as part of the investigations but for me, I think the report is not a reflection of current happenings,” he said in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Wednesday.
Despite the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey,’ the fight against the problem remains a process and not an event, according to Mr Owusu-Bio.
He acknowledged the small-scale mining industry’s contribution to Ghana’s gold production but regretted the industry’s negative impact on the environment in recent years, particularly in terms of water pollution and environmental degradation.
The public and civil society have called for action following the report’s publication, prompting the Special Prosecutor to begin an investigation into the report’s findings.
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