Kissi Agyebeng
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng is
assuring the public and civil society organisations it will leave no stone unturned in prosecuting all persons found culpable in the report on the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, “necessary action” will be taken against them.
On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 the OSP broke its silence on the report authored on Friday, March 19, 2021 by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, who chaired the Committee.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng cited government officials for complicity in the mass degradation of the country’s forest cover through illegal mining.
Among personalities he cited in his report was the deceased Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popuarly known as Sir John, who was said to have owned a Chinese gang mining in forest reserves, Gabby Otchere-Darko, private legal practitioner and member of the NPP, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah among others.
They have all denied the allegations in their various responses to the report.
Following the report coming into public, there were various calls for the Special Prosecutor to initiate investigations, especially on the persons including current government officials cited in the report.
“The OSP welcomes the calls for action and investigations and it assures the public and civil society that its investigation is ongoing and far-reaching and it also covers the matters raised in the report published by the head of the dissolved IMCIM,” Mr Agyebeng stated in a press release to give an update on illegal mining cases his office is pursuing.
“The OSP will take necessary action against all persons deemed culpable of corruption and corruption-related offences in the mining sector.”
He referred to an October, 2022 press release, which announced the Office’s initial steps to probe suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in the illegal mining sector.
It, therefore, acknowledged the calls for action made on the matter following the publication of the Frimpong-Boateng report.
By Vincent Kubi