Dafeamekpor Petitions CHRAJ Over Prof Frimpong Boateng Report
The Member of Parliament for South Dayi Constituency, Hon Nelson Rockson Dafeamekpor, has written to the Commission on Human Rights Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) requesting a probe into a report by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Chairperson of defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
The legislator sees a violation of fundamental human rights, conflict of interest and abuse of public office by some government officials in the report and wants the Commission to conduct an investigation.
Additionally, he wants Prof Frimpong Boateng investigated in relation to corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of office levelled against him by former Secretary of the IMCIM during an interview with Okay FM some time ago.
The Petition, written on his behalf by his lawyers referenced parts of the report and holds that “the activities of illegal small-scale miners are destroying our water bodies and degrading our forest reserves at an alarming rate. All Ghanaians depend on the environment for sustenance and therefore, a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right and integral to the full enjoyment of the wide range of other human rights including the right to life and dignity”.
He also requested a public probe and/or hearing.
The reports- handed to the President’s Chief of Staff in 2021- which got into the public domain just last week, among other things, alleged that key members of government and the ruling New Patriotic Party were behind the act.
“I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the National to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers or relatives engaged in illegal mining… There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining,” part of the report said.
According to Prof Frimpong Boateng, these officials employed the services of Chinese to work on their behalf.
He said those at the Jubilee House used their roles to interfere in the fight against the illegality.
Among officials incriminated in the report are leading NPP member Gabby Otchere Darko, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Commey, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, an Executive Assistant and Head of Social Media at the Office of the President, Frank Asiedu Bekoe (Protozoa) who works with the President’s Chief of Staff and others.
Almost all of them have come out to refute the allegations with the Jubilee House calling the report a catalogue of personal grievances, claims and hearsay.
Below Is The Petition:
