The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak is calling for investigations into claims by Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, that elements within both the governing New Patriotic Party and the Akufo-Addo government are involved in illegal mining also known as galamsey.

In February 2020, while still in office as the chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof Frimpong-Boateng disclosed that some of the 500 excavators allegedly seized by the IMCIM had gone missing.

In a recent interview with state broadcaster GTV, however, Prof Frimpong-Boateng said the missing excavator story was trumped up against him by his own party and other government officials involved in galamsey, just to get him out.

“No 500 excavators got missing. Who said that? It was thrown into the media space to tag something on Frimpong-Boageng”, he said.

“What am I doing with 500 excavators?” he wondered.

Reacting to Prof Frimpong-Boatneg’s latest interview, Dr Apaak in a statement said galamsey is a crime and those involved must be punished.

According to Dr Apaak, by his stature and previous position in the NPP government, his allegations cannot and must not be ignored.

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