When he served as the chair of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining in 2021, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng responded to a comment made by Gabby Otchere Darko on the illegal mining report he wrote and gave to the Presidency.
When the 2021 study was made public last week, Gabby responded with a radio appearance.
Here is the comment from Professor Frimpong-Boateng:
During an interview he gave on CITI FM on Thursday, April 20, 2023, Mr. Gabby Otchere Darko made a number of comments that I have come across transcripts of.
I felt sad for Ghana after hearing Mr. Gabby Otchere Darko's statements.
When I noticed that the purported attorney for a mining business was acting in such an unprofessional manner, I questioned how we ended up in this situation. I am no longer shocked that Mr. Gabby Otchere Darko has such a pixelated vision of the illegal mining landscape in Ghana after viewing the videos and images demonstrating the egregious environmental destruction in the regions of operation of Mr. Gabby Otchere Darko's customers. I also no longer find it surprising that he is so ignorant.
The fact that Mr. Gabby Otchere Darko's client has a long history of behaving without consequence seems to have slipped his mind.
Donald Entsuah, who ran Heritage Imperial Mining Co. Ltd. as well as C&G Aleska, has a history of violating mining laws and regulations.
In a letter to C&G Aleska dated November 29, 2016, Mr. Toni Aubyn, the Minerals Commission's former chief executive officer under the NDC government, claimed that the company was "seriously engaged in illegal mining on its prospecting license." Mr. Aubyn wrote to C&G Aleska once more on January 30, 2017, complaining that they were "undertaking mining activities illegally without obtaining all the necessary permits and approvals."
Again, on October 2, 2017, Hon. John Peter Amewu, the first NPP Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, sent a letter to G&G Aleska regarding the Dwuabo concession and instructed them not to conduct any mining operations there until their mining lease had been ratified. This was due to the fact that C&G Aleska did not have a valid mining operating permit and the Ministry had not yet ratified their mining lease.
Heritage Imperial Mining Co. Ltd., run by Donald Entsuah, replaced C&G Aleska. They chose to make their home in Manso's Apaprama and Kobro woods this time.
Without even a prospecting permit, they soon began active mining in the Ashanti Region, destroying nearby farms, forests, and waterways.
In 2018, the IMCIM task group made an effort to halt Donald Entsuah and his Heritage Imperial Company's unlawful activities there.
It is ridiculous, Mr. Gabby Otchere Darko, that you claim to have called me to ask for information about your customer. You may have contacted the Minerals Commission if you need any information.
You are aware that I did not run information mining services.
You contacted me to let me know that your customer has the essential permissions and a current mining license. I informed you that Heritage Imperial Co. Ltd. lacked the necessary paperwork to undertake active mining.
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