Godfred Yeboah Dame
The Attorney-General (AG) and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has chastised the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the “lies and propaganda” on the fight against illegal mining activity, popularly known as galamsey, by the government.
He is particularly not happy with the party’s politicisation and attacks on the opinions of State Attorneys who work under great pressure.
According to him, such attacks by a political party aiming to score political points simply because the content of the relevant advice fails to feed a preferred narrative are most antagonistic to national development and progress, and extremely dangerous.
“The severe risks to which State Attorneys who author such opinions on behalf of the Attorney-General are exposed are apparent,” he said in a statement in response to attacks on his office by NDC.
The NDC National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, claimed at a press conference that the Attorney-General’s advice referring to portions of the Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report as lacking evidence is nothing but a cover-up and an attempt to whitewash the “damning report.”
However, the AG said the advice on the docket prepared by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report, which was specifically rendered by a Chief State Attorney, is no different from advice proffered by the Office on dockets with similar shortcomings.
“The political consequence of such advice is not a factor considered by State Attorneys,” he noted, and added, “State Attorneys of all ranks, throughout the country on a daily basis, offer advice on hundreds of dockets presented by the CID.”
He asserted that State Attorneys are under a constitutional duty to render advice on dockets faithfully and impartially, and make a decision to prosecute or not, devoid of attacks by political actors.
Observation
Mr. Dame said the docket built by the CID on the Frimpong-Boateng report presented to his office for review was an inquiry into specific allegations by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng against specifically named individuals.
He pointed out that it was not a probe into general illegal mining issues in the country “as the NDC mischievously sought to portray to the nation.”
“The conclusions by the learned Chief State Attorney are thus only in relation to those specific allegations. Prosecution for Galamsey offences, including those committed in all forest reserves and water bodies, continues throughout the country,” he explained.
He indicated that despite a slew of allegations and invectives hurled at him by the NDC’s Communications Officer, he claims that not a single piece of evidence was provided by the party in support of any complaint made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng against any of the people identified in his report.
“The NDC’s press conference was, in point of fact, vitiated by a fraudulent attempt at explaining their orchestrated lies and abuses against me, as they are wont to do,” the AG intimated.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, in his report, named Laud Commey, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, Frank Asiedu Bekoe aka Protozoa, Joseph Albert Quarm, Charles Owusu, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Captain (Rtd.) Edmund Kojo Koda, Donald Entsuah and an unnamed former Member of Parliament for Wassa East Constituency as people involved in illegal mining activities.
According to the report, Seth Mantey, John Ofori Atta, and Ekow Ewusi were involved in the sale of excavators, while Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Kwaku Baako Jnr were accused of acts that directly or indirectly hampered the Professor’s work.
According to the Attorney-General, at the conclusion of the NDC press conference, the party failed to show evidence against any of the persons named above.
“The wild allegation that I am engaged in an exercise to cover up crimes allegedly committed by them is therefore perplexing, dubious and mischievous, to say the least.
“I deem that press conference by the NDC as only the latest in the series of attacks on me for decisions taken in the regular course of my functions as Attorney-General which that political party finds to be inimical to its interests,” he slammed.
Mr. Yeboah Dame stated that the havoc caused by galamsey activities is undeniable, and that prosecution is underway for offenses committed in several “galamsey regions”.
“Heritage Imperial is the same as C & J Aleska. It is however pertinent to note that no part of Erastus Asare Donkor’s video showed evidence of any acts committed specifically by any of the persons mentioned above,” the AG noted.
He stated that the record would show that he, as Attorney-General, specifically began processes at the High Court in Kumasi in July 2021 to deprive Heritage Imperial Limited of a judgment debt of US$15.3 million obtained in 2020 while Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.
By Ernest Kofi Adu