Former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Frimpong Boateng, has disclosed that former Forestry Commission boss, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John was involved in galamsey.
According to the Professor, the late Sir John had a Chinese gang operating on his behalf.
Blowing the cover of ‘bigwigs’ who were involved in galamsey during his tenure as Minister, Prof Frimpong-Boateng who doubled as the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), said Sir John “gave forestry entry permits to mining companies, both large and small scale, including those of foreign nationals for prospecting activities at a time when the President had put a ban on that activity.”
He said this could be a reason why the Forestry Commission never migrated onto the GalamStop Platform.
“Through Charles Owusu, the Director of Operations at the Forestry Commission, Sir John had Chinese gangs doing mining on his behalf,” he added.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng further disclosed that Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afrivie (aka Sir John) was actively giving out timber concessions, even in forest reserves for logging.”
“The issue about rose wood exploitation is something that is beyond the scope of this report. I remember that at a meeting in the conference room of the President, I told the President in the presence of Sir John that the greatest danger to the forests of Ghana was Sir John,” he added.
The document dubbed “Report on the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM)” made captivating revelations about the (gold) mining industry, especially persons involved in illegal mining and the works and gains chalked by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) during the Professor’s tenure as the chairman.
A 37-page report by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has revealed that some New Patriotic Party (NPP) officials at Jubilee House are engaged in small-scale unlawful mining (galamsey).
According to him, these individuals prevented him from addressing the issue, as well as the committee he headed.