GII calls on OSP, CHRAJ to probe Frimpong-Boateng’s galamsey report

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) is calling on institutions such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to rebuild public confidence by probing the galamsey report authored by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

The former Minister of f Science, Environment, Technology and Innovation and former Chairman of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining in a 37-page document accused some government officials of engaging in galamsey or interfering in his work.

GII also called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to redeem the confidence reposed in him by Ghanaians by setting up a bi-partisan commission of enquiry into the report.

GII in a statement on April 28, suggested, “It is based on this background that GII is calling on the Anti-Corruption State Institutions to proactively initiate investigations into the allegations contained in the report and make recommendations on the next step. Professor Frimpong-Boateng’s report, therefore, does not only offer the President an opportunity to redeem the trust of the people of Ghana but also places a burden on state institutions such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to rebuild public confidence.

“Alternatively, the President could set up an Independent, Bi-partisan Commission of Enquiry to undertake transparent investigations into the issues raised in the report. The report makes a plethora of allegations that GII demands an urgent independent inquiry/investigation into the veracity or otherwise of the allegations”.

GII observed that the President’s vow of fighting corruption is becoming a cliché.

“It is almost a cliché to quote the President’s vow to fight small-scale illegal mining; “I pledge to put my presidency on the line if that is what it means to end illegal mining” but it seems inevitable because, since this pronouncement, a number of incidents have occurred to test the President’s commitment to ending illegal mining but sad to say, the President’s actions have not kept pace with his rhetoric leading to waning trust in the President’s commitment to the fight against “galamsey” by all well-meaning Ghanaians,” GII opined.

GII disclosed that it will petition CHRAJ and the OSP to investigate aspects of the report that are corruption-related.

“GII also intends to formally petition CHRAJ and the OSP to investigate aspects of the report
that are corruption-related,” GII stated in its statement.