Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has said although the report of the now-dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) which he chaired is two years old, it is still an important document in the fight illegal small scale mining (Galamsey.).
He told TV3’s Alfred Ocansey in an interview on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Monday May 8 that “This report was not meant for public consumption. It might have stayed there for two years but now it is known so it can still be used although it is two years old, in the fight against illegal mining.”
The report implicated a wide number of government officials, most of whom have denied the allegations in the report.
The Presidency said that the document was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President.
On the contrary, the seat of government said, it could only be rightly referred to as a catalogue of personal grievances and claims made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, intended to respond to some issues he faced as Chairperson of the IMCIM.
A statement issued by the Presidency on Saturday, April 22 said the document was handed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President on March 19th 2021, in an informal meeting, where Prof. Frimpong-Boateng complained about public attacks and criticisms made about his tenure as Chairperson of the IMCIM.
“The document did not have a transmittal or cover letter nor, indeed, an addressee, such as to suggest that it was submitted to the Chief of Staff for action. It is noteworthy that the IMCIM was a creature of Cabinet, and any formal report on its activities would, normally, be submitted to Cabinet through the Cabinet Secretary, or directly to the President of the Republic as Chairperson of Cabinet. Till date, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has done neither,” the statement said.
It added “It is important also to point out that, whilst Prof. Frimpong-Boateng makes serious allegations against some government appointees, as having been involved in, supporting or interfering with the fight against illegal mining, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated.
“Indeed, the allegations contained in the document are at best hearsay. It is instructive that since Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s meeting with the Chief of Staff in March 2021, he has taken no step nor acted in furtherance of the matters contained in the document.”
It further stated that the President’s commitment to fighting illegal mining is unassailable, and the Office of the President welcomes any information on illegal mining activities which provides a credible basis for investigations to be conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.