The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, is calling for the same treatment meted out to the owner of Akonta Mining Limited to be applied to Joseph Yamin and Yakubu Alhassan Abanga.
Dr. Ashigbey says it’s not for the accused party officials to profess innocence to the allegations in public. Instead, he suggests they should do so when they appear before the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Dr. Ashigbey’s comments follow a directive from the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Akutiringa Ayine, asking the EOCO to probe two NDC officials alleged to be involved in galamsey, and also forming a taskforce to extort money from illegal miners.
The letter further directed the Office to investigate other persons found complicit in illegal mining activities, including those implicated in the Frimpong Boateng report.
The report, which was submitted in April 2023, was ignored by then President Akufo-Addo, whose appointees and party members had been cited for indulging in illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey’.
Dr. Ayine directed the EOCO to investigate two national officers of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Yakubu Abanga and Joseph Yamin, based on “recent credible reports”.
The A-G, in his letter to EOCO said: “I am directing your office to invite the following persons named in recent credible reports for interrogation, namely, Mr. Yakubu Abanga and Mr. Joseph Yamin.”
“The scope of this investigation should include the matters highlighted in Prof Frimpong Boateng’s report on illegal mining,” the letter added.
The EOCO is offered the opportunity to invite the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission to aid investigations.
Commenting on the development on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Dr. Ashigbey said “it’s not for nothing that the Attorney-General will actually issue this document and make it public.”
According to him, “there is some evidence that is there that needs investigations and it’s important that the letter also talks about investigations.”
Dr. Ashigbey added that the accused person’s responses to the allegations should rather be channeled towards the EOCO, rather than claiming innocence in public, demanding that the same measure used against Akonta Mining Limited should be used against them.
“…so, I’m not surprised that those who have been named are talking about the fact that they are not guilty of any crime. It is not for them to say. It is for them to say it when they appear before EOCO and we will be demanding that the same thing that has happened to Akonta Mining Limited people, also, is the same rigour that should be put to this particular investigations so far as these people are concerned,” he stated.
