Former Environment Minister, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has responded to the Attorney General’s Office’s statement for “hard evidence” in relation to the allegations in his report on illegal mining activities in the country.
The AG’s office, last week indicated that the accusations in Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s report are empty and do not have evidence to prosecute the persons named in it.
However, in a sharp reply, the former Minister said he had done his part as Chairman of a Committee whose mandate was to compile a comprehensive report on the operations of illegal miners in the country.
“What does he mean by hard evidence? I mean as somebody who has written a report what evidence do you expect from me apart from words, documents, videos, pictures?
“I am not an investigative agent, that is not my job. I was a chairman of a committee and I wrote a report, so you [as an Attorney General] have to go round and see whether what I am saying is true or otherwise,” he said during an interview on Accra-based TV3.
The former Environment Minister made a stark observation regarding the current state of galamsey.
In his view, illegal mining is worse now than before, adding that the AG’s office would not have difficulties in finding hard evidence should they go into the forests where the activities are happening.
“We have regional Ministers, DCEs, MPs, police personnel, Customs and Forestry Commission personnel scattered across Ghana, are they not seeing these things? If you go there, you’ll get your evidence.”