Government has not concluded investigations into galamsey activities that prompted President Nana Akufo-Addo to set up an inter-ministerial committee to fight the menace upon assumption of office.
The Committee was hit with several allegations of engaging in “corrupt” practices. Among the allegations were extortion, seizing of excavators and using security officials to intimidate local citizens while protecting foreigners engaged in illegal mining.
There were also reports that some seized excavators could not be accounted for.
Responding to these happenings under the previous administration of the Akufo-Addo government during his vetting, Albert Kan Dapaah noted that “investigations into the galamsey activities have not been completed that is why findings have not been made public.”
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He could, however, not make available the number of excavators seized in their operations and added that it will be made known when the investigations are concluded.
It would be recalled that over 500 excavators used by galamsey operators were seized by the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and parked at various district assemblies for safekeeping as prosecutions proceed but the former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation shockingly stated that the excavators had gone missing.
As a result, six persons were arrested by the police for stealing or aiding in the stealing of excavators and other equipment.