The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi, yesterday submitted a letter requesting from four government agencies, information on the activities of Heritage Imperial Company Limited in the Apamprama forest reserve.
The agencies include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forestry Commission, the Attorney-General’s Department and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Sammy Gyamfi is, under the Right To Information Act, requesting the information following the Attorney-General’s advice letter to the police, stating that the former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, failed to provide the necessary evidence to back his report for the prosecution of persons indicted.
In his submission letter, Sammy Gyamfi said, “It’s my belief that the requested information will enable me to assist the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney-General to conduct thorough investigations into this matter with the aim of punishing anyone found culpable.”
Later in the afternoon, the NDC National Communications Officer posted on his social media platforms that “Earlier today I submitted RTI requests to the Environmental Protection Agency, Forestry Commission, Attorney General’s Department and Ministry of lands and Natural resources in respect of the activities of Heritage Imperial company limited in the Apamprama Forest reserve.
This request has become imperative in light of a legal opinion from Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice to the Ghana Police Service dated 12th September, 2023.
The said legal opinion suggests that no evidence has been found by the State in support of allegations by the former Minister of Environment and former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee Against Illegal Mining, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, that Heritage Imperial Company Limited has been mining and/or operating illegally in the Apamprama forest reserve.
It’s my belief and that the requested information will enable me assist the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney-General to conduct thorough investigations into this matter with aim of punishing anyone found culpable.
