Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former chairman of the defunct Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), has been summoned by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to help in investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses, within the mining sector.
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng issued a press release, upon receiving the letter of summons and expressed acknowledgement of the invitation.
“Earlier today, I received a letter from the Office of the Special Prosecutor inviting me to assist the Office, as a person necessary for the investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).”
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng
He also disclosed that he has formally communicated his willingness to honour the invitation. “I have formally communicated my willingness to attend the invitation and to support the OSP in its work,” he averred.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng on April 20 caused a stir in the country, when a report he authored on galamsey was leaked to the media. The said report indicted a couple of NPP officials for engaging in illegal mining activities.
However, it has now been taken up by the OSP, after investigations of its authenticity was carried out by various private organizations.
Among the persons mentioned in the report include leading member of the New Patriotic Party, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko; Director of Communications at the Presidency, Lord Commey; Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and a host of others. Nevertheless, all the above mentioned persons have denied the allegations.
OSP Assures That It Is Already Probing Into Issues Raised In Frimpong-Boateng’s Report
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) welcomed numerous calls for action and investigations, following the bombshell galamsey report, authored by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who is a former Chairman of the now defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, in his report, accused some stalwart of the Akufo-Addo-administration of interfering in his galamsey [illegal small-scale mining] fight or being engaged in galamsey.
Convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and many other stakeholders amongst others, called on the OSP to probe the allegations made in the report.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, in a statement, assured the public and civil society that investigation is ongoing and far-reaching. He said his outfit commenced investigations in 2022 on suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in illegal mining, and it also covers claims raised in the report by the former Chairman of the defunct IMCIM.
“The OSP acknowledges the recent calls for action and investigations into these matters by the public and civil society, following the publication of a report on parts of these matters authored by a former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation and head of the dissolved IMCIM.
“The OSP welcomes the calls for action and investigations and it assures the public and civil society that its investigation is ongoing and far-reaching and it also covers the matters raised in the report published by the head of the dissolved IMCIM.”
Kissi Agyebeng
Kissi Agyebeng further assured to take necessary action against persons found culpable of corruption. “The OSP will take necessary action against all persons deemed culpable of corruption and corruption-related offences in the mining sector,” he claimed.
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