The Member of Parliament (MP) for Manso-Nkwanta, Joseph Albert Quarm says he rejected an amount of $ 1 million dollars as bribe from some Chinese nationals during his fight against illegal mining (galamsey).
According to him, the Chinese nationals who used some Ghanaians as middle men tried to use the money to convince him and to enable them continue the illegalities in 2012.
“A group of some Chinese nationals together with some Ghanaians invited me for a meeting at some joint to bribe me but I rejected the money,” Albert Quarm on Monday told host of Adom FM’s “Burning Issues” programme hosted by Listowell Kwadwo Fordjour.
“They approached me with such huge amount of money to stop the fight against galamsey but I refused it” the MP stressed.
The Member of Parliament’s comment follows report by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) citing some chiefs and political figures in the country involvement in illegal mining and the arrest of four Chinese miners in the Amansie area of the Ashanti Region for violating a ban of mining by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The legislator said he reported the matter to the former Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Augustine Gyening but nothing was done about the issue.
“I was arrested by the police for obstructing the Chinese galamseyers”
According to him, when he reported the matter to DCOP Augustine Gyening, the police later arrested him for preserving water bodies from illegal miners in his area.
Also contributing to the discussions, former Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Kobina Ackon commended the government’s effort to end the illegal mining.
He added that if the former President Mahama had the support President Akufo-Addo has now, the National Democratic congress (NDC) party would have put an end to galamsey in the country.
The former minister added that all the major stakeholders in the country are aware that some politicians are part of the galamsey operations, adding that all stakeholders must take part of the “stop galamsey campaign”.