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Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, is demanding investigations into galamsey claims made by former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng had in an interview with state-owned broadcasting firm, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), claimed that some bigwigs of the ruling government are engaged in the act.
He made the allegation while he was speaking about the missing excavators under his tenure as head of anti-galamsey fight.
According to him, the supposed missing excavator story was framed against him by his own party and other government officials involved in the galamsey as a weapon to remove him from office.
“The true story is that, at the start of the Operation Vanguard thing, the soldiers were supposed to arrest the excavators and they go into the forest where they are doing the mining and they remove the control board.
“So, if they remove 20 control boards today, they will report that they have immobilised 20 control boards. But then, when you go away, they will bring new control boards and fix them and then off they go.
“So, we got the report that they have immobilised over 750-something excavators. So, we appointed somebody to go round and check, when we went round, I think we got about 150 [or] 200 that we could see. The rest had either been given to their owners or they put in some extra parts and moved them away” he said.
“And, then somebody put it out there that Frimpong-Boateng has taken 500 excavators. What am I going to do with it? he quizzed.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng therefore described it as an “orchestrated scheme even within the party and government to get me out,” adding, “why is it that when I left now everybody is in the forest?”
“At that time, you dare not enter the forest. But, as I said, I don’t want to go into details now because I have a lot to say on that. But let me tell you that I did not take one excavator for anything. And they know the truth,” he debunked in the excerpt of the interview.
He continued indicating that “Now, things are coming out, we know those who are behind it and the party people who are there, people in government, including Jubilee House who are doing galamsey and so on even now. So, let Frimpong-Boateng be in his corner to enjoy his retirement.”
Commenting on the claims, Dr. Clement Apaak said since activities of galamsey are considered illegal, he therefore called on investigative bodies such as the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) among others to investigate the matter as alleged by the former Minister.
“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 government 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 or 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 government, these allegations cannot and must not be ignored,” Dr Apaak demanded in a statement.
He thus called on the CSOs, organised labour, the clergy and all well-meaning Ghanaians to canvas for an investigation into the allegations that elements in the “Presidency, government and NPP are engaged in galamsey, and consequently, the pollution of our rivers and destruction of our environment.”
