Gov’t To Investigate Anas Galamsey Exposé
The Government of Ghana has welcomed all efforts by both individuals and organisations to fight the menace of Illegal mining in the country.
Speaking on the recent investigations by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkurmah said government will not hesitate in cracking the whips on any public official captured in the video either soliciting of taking bribes.
“Government will have the said tapes properly investigated using the raw unedited footage and if any persons are found to have solicited monies or taken bribes to bend rules, the necessary actions will be taken,” he said at a press briefing in Accra, yesterday.
He continued: “What government is doing is getting access to these tapes so that you can do a property investigation of all these matters whether it is those from Operation Vanguard or staff of the Office of the [Anti-Galamsey] Taskforce.”
Exposé
In the ‘Galamsey Fraud’ documentary, some government officials including the Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Mr. Charles Cromwell Bissiw are seen circumventing measures to curb illegal mining and allowing an unregistered company to mine.
The investigative piece showed the officials receiving various sums of money to facilitate the process and provide security protection for the mining company.
Mr. Bissiw is seen taking cash amounting to GH₵ 35,000 in three meetings through one Andy Owusu, a connection man, to outwit the process to renew the mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise.
IMCIM
When the war on galamsey was declared, government decided to give a clear picture of the scope and duration of the intervention.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining was therefore inaugurated to tackle illegal small-scale mining, protect the environment and ensure that mining in the country conforms to international standards.
The IMCIM was also tasked to implement road map—to supervise ban and the transition to the new legal and well-regulated mining regime
The Committee had so far received applauses for a good job done until the release of the Tiger Eye IP exposé which shows the IMCIM officials allegedly take bribes to allow people circumvent the rules of the roadmap.
Reacting to the video, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said government takes serious objection to such acts because the project to stop illegal is dear to government after committing resources to stop it.
The documentary, titled ‘Galamsey Fraud’ which lasts a little over 27 minutes is only the first part with the continuation to be premiered at a later date.
By Grace Ablewor Sogbey
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