A group called the Ashanti Democrats has petitioned the police’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate claims that three regional ministers are involved in illegal mining, known as galamsey, in their regions.
The group’s petition follows allegations made on a radio show by a Democracy Hub member, Wendell Nana Yaw Yeboah, who accused the Ashanti, Western, and Eastern Regional Ministers of engaging in galamsey activities. Mr. Yeboah has since retracted his statements and apologised on social media, but the Ashanti Democrats say an investigation was still needed to clear the ministers’ names.
Speaking in Kumasi, the group’s President Jerry James Sukah, said the allegations were serious and could harm the ministers’ reputations.
He praised the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, as a dedicated and humble leader who was aware of the health impacts of galamsey and would not be involved in such activities. He described the allegations as baseless and warned against spreading false information, saying the group’s members would hold anyone making baseless accusations accountable.
The Ashanti Democrats say they will await the CID’s investigation results, emphasizing that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) values its ministers and will protect them from unfounded accusations. Sukah added that Dr. Amoakohene is a respected medical doctor and leader who has earned broad respect across traditional, political, and civic leadership in the Ashanti Region.
