The Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, says former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng was not involved in illegal mining.
Speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3 on Tuesday, April 25, Mr Whittal said a “thorough” investigation was conducted into a petition filed in 2019 against the respected heart surgeon but nothing untoward was found against him.
“We investigated allegations made against Prof Frimpong-Boateng. We went in and did a very thorough investigation, came out with our report, a 116-page report, and the offshoot is that he was not involved in any illegal mining concessions,” the CHRAJ Commissioner told host Alfred Ocansey.
“He had genuine concessions which he had difficulties even starting because of community violence against his company.”
Mr Whittal insisted that the son and wife of Prof Frimpong-Boateng were also cleared after the investigations.
There have been counter-accusations – since the former Environment Minister’s report on the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) was leaked – that he was also complicit in illegal mining.
The accusers are alluding to the 2019 petition filed by Arnold Agbodo against him.
Symphony Limited, the company owned by his son, is said to have been used for the illegal transactions.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng and his wife, Agnes, were said to be the first directors of the company.
From the findings of the Commission as sighted by 3news.com, Symphony Limited only owed the state $191,698 and it was charged to make payment to the Minerals Commission.
“The failure to pay is obviously in breach of law,” CHRAJ’s findings in 2019 said.