The Minerals Commission has confirmed it has gathered solid evidence proving Akonta Mining Limited engaged in illegal mining activities, widely known as galamsey, within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, despite the company’s repeated public denials.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Isaac Andrew Tandoh, the Commission’s findings are based on verified intelligence, including geolocation data and video evidence directly linking Akonta Mining to operations within protected forest zones. “For the intelligence we have now, the conditions and the videos we have now are more than enough to go after the perpetrators. The AG has been advised to pick up these conversations and make sure that the powers that are behind these perpetrators are brought to book,” he said.
Tandoh’s remarks follow a strong denial from Akonta Mining, which insists it has never conducted unlawful operations within any forest reserve and claims its activities comply with all regulatory requirements. But Tandoh dismissed the company’s response, describing it as a mere public relations tactic that won’t deter enforcement efforts.
The Commission’s position aligns with that of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, which recently announced the revocation of Akonta Mining’s lease due to the company’s illegal extension of activities into the Aboi and Tano Nimiri Forest Reserves in the Western North Region. The ongoing probe forms part of the government’s intensified efforts to clamp down on illegal mining and protect Ghana’s forest reserves.
