The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, is calling for a probe into some allegations levelled by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation who accused some New Patriotic Party (NPP) bigwigs of engaging in galamsey.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng in a recent interview with the state broadcaster GBC alleged that he was ousted from his position to pave the way for the NPP bigwigs to continue their galamsey activities.
He was later relieved of his post over some missing excavators.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng disclosed, “there was an orchestration within the party and the government to get me out and when I left galamsey activities increased. Now things are coming up, and we know those who are doing galamsey even within the party and even people at the Jubilee House.”
The MP in a statement appealed to the state security agencies such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate the matter.
He added that such allegations cannot be swept under the carpet and thus an investigation must be done to bring perpetrators to book.
“We demand an investigation into allegations by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, a former NPP Minister, then head of the anti-galamsey fight, that ‘People in the NPP, people in gov’t and people at Jubilee House are engaged in galamsey’. Galamsey is a crime and those involved must be punished,” Dr. Apaak said in his statement.
He added, “Ghanaians expect the requisite state agencies/institutions (OSP, BIN, CID) to show loyalty to Ghana by initiating investigations into the allegations made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng. By his stature and previous position in this NPP gov’t, these allegations cannot and must not be ignored”
The missing excavators controversy began in 2020 when Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, the then Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation said most of the excavators seized from illegal miners had gone missing.
He subsequently wrote a letter to the Police CID to investigate Horace Ekow Ewusi, then suspended First Vice Chairman of the governing NPP, over his alleged involvement in the missing earth-moving equipment.
Read below Dr. Clement Apaak’s full statement
“We DEMAND an investigation into allegations by Prof. Boateng, a former NPP Minister, then head of the anti-galamsey fight, that “People in the NPP, people in gov’t and people at Jubilee House are engaged in galamsey”. Galamsey is a crime and those involved must be punished.
Ghanaians expect the requisite state agencies/institutions (OSP, BIN, CID) to show loyalty to Ghana by initiating investigations into the allegations made by Prof. Boateng. By his stature and previous position in this NPP gov’t, these allegations cannot and must not be ignored.
CSOs, organised labour, the clergy and all well-meaning Ghanaians must canvas for an investigation into these allegations that elements in the Presidency, gov’t and NPP are engaged in galamsey, and consequently, the pollution of our rivers and destruction of our environment.
In Solidarity,
Dr. Clement Abas Apaak
M.P, Builsa South