Frimpong-Boateng failed to provide evidence to support allegations in illegal mining report – A-G

Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame has revealed that Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, and former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), has not provided the necessary evidence to support his report on illegal mining for the prosecution of implicated individuals.

According to the Attorney-General, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng refused to provide any further information to the police and also declined to give a written statement.

“Several attempts by the Police to obtain further information from Professor Frimpong Boateng to substantiate the allegations in the report and to assist them in conducting further investigations proved futile.

“The Professor refused to provide any further information to the police. He also declined to give a written statement, claiming his report is ‘an embodiment of his statement’ and contains all the information he has on the allegations,” citinewsroom.com quoted the Attorney General.

The Attorney General’s advice, dated 12th September 2023, and delivered to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service on 14th September 2023, was signed by Chief State Attorney Mrs. Evelyn Keelson, from the Prosecutions Division of the Office of the Attorney-General.

Furthermore, the Attorney-General’s advice noted that police investigations have not revealed any evidence supporting the allegations made by Professor Frimpong Boateng against any of the individuals mentioned in his report.

As a result, the allegations are considered unsubstantiated and do not provide a basis for criminal charges against the individuals cited in the Report.

The Attorney-General also highlighted that there is no indication in the Police diary of action that John Ofori Atta was interviewed or that a statement was taken from him.

Additionally, there is no statement from Mr. Ekow Ewusi on the docket. Consequently, the Attorney General instructed the Police to conclude their investigations on this matter and provide a report.

The Attorney General’s advice states, “In the absence of any evidence on the docket in support of any of the allegations of illegal mining activities, we are unable to recommend the prosecution of any of the persons cited in the Report. They should, therefore, be discharged. We, however, await the outcome of the investigations conducted in the case involving Seth Mantey, John Ofori Atta, and Ekow Ewusi.