The editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr., and a nephew of the President, Gabby Otchere Darko have been exposed in their dealings with illegal mining firms. These personalities have been fingered for undermining President Akufo Addo’s galamsey fight, during the days of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
A leaked report by the Chair to the IMCIM, Prof Frimpong Boateng [filed in March 2021] mentioned that Kweku Baako and Gabby Otchere Darko personally confronted him over a raid the IMCIM taskforce undertook on an illegal mining operation by C&J Alaska in the Diaso Forest Reserve. The IMCIM task force led by Charles Bissue undertook that raid and succeeded in dislodging armed military personnel who were stationed at the site to protect the which was involved in illegal mining.
According to Prof Frimpong Boateng, Kweku Baako phoned him later on, disclosing that the managers of C&J Alaska were his friends. That disclosure was no less a confession of the personal interest Kweku Baako had in C&J Alaska.
Kwaku Baako indulged in a series of publications to attack Prof Frimpong Boateng and the IMCIM for shutting down the illegal mining operation of C&J Alaska. Prof Frimpong Boateng described Kwaku Baako as a “fierce attacker” who wrote unsavory things about him.
“I, in particular, came under severe attack. A fierce attacker was Mr. Kweku Baako, a journalist who personally called me to inform me that the managers of C&J were his friends. Mr. Baako published unsavory things about me at the time” he noted in the report.
Per the series of publications by Kwaku Baako’s newspaper, C&J Alaska was never engaged in illegal mining and the raid by the IMCIM could result in the government suffering legal damages. In a December 19, 2018 publication by Kwaku Baako’s The New Crusading Guide, claimed to have knowledge of a retaliatory attack by the Directors of the against the IMCIM.
“These Ministers and top government officials wonder why the Inter-Ministerial Committee will rather chase legitimate business entities while illegal companies are allowed to operate without any attack.
“The also noted that it will publish names of certain powerful officials within government who are behind this cynical agenda to destroy their . The Directors of the mining firm have also hinted they would expose corrupt practices perpetuated by some government appointees in the mining sector in the blind side of the appointing authorities,” an except of the paper read.
Prof Frimpong Boateng continued that the owners of C&J Alaska, Mr Donald Entsuah and Simon Ayman [a Canadian] incorporated a new mining firm; Imperial Heritage, shortly after the raid by the IMCIM taskforce. Imperial Heritage per the report invaded the Kobro and Apaprama Forest Reserves in the Amansie Central District.
The devastation caused to the forest was incomparable to what was done to the Diaso forest. The IMCIM Chair indicated that they had been monitoring the operations of Imperial Heritage and had evidence of the illegalities perpetuated by the . According to him, the was heavily guided by soldiers deployed from the 2BN.
“On Saturday 16 January 2021, the task force visited the Kobro forest and witnessed the utter devastation of the once pristine environment. They were confronted by a dozen soldiers from 2BN providing security for the illegal activity,” Prof Frimpong Boateng noted.
Prof Frimpong Boateng indicated that he was horrified listening to Gabby Otchere Darko defend Imperial Heritage, and above it telling the IMCIM Chair to allow the resumes its operations. According to Prof Frimpong Boateng, Gabby identified himself as the legal advisor for the .
“I was thus horrified to receive a telephone call from Mr. Otchere Darko telling me he was the legal advisor to Mr. Donald Entsuah and his Imperial Heritage Mining Company and that the should be allowed to work in the Kobro and Apaprama Forest Reserves.”
Displeased by Gabby’s confrontation, Prof Frimpong reported the matter to the President yet no action was taken to address it.
From Prof Frimpong’s account, Gabby and Kwaku Baako were cynical and repulsive to the IMCIM’s operations that were sanctioned by the President to rid the country of illegal mining which had caused irreparable environmental damages.
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