‘We Work With Evidence, Not Conjecture’ – Dep. AG Hits Back At Frimpong-Boateng
Deputy Attorney General(AG) Alfred Tuah Yeboah has hit back at the former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, over his description of the advice the AG’s office offered on his controversial galamsey report.
The Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice had said that Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s allegations in his report on illegal mining activities in the country were empty.
According to the AG, there was no evidence to prosecute persons named in the report.
It follows the conclusion of its review of a docket submitted by the police on the allegations contained in a 36-page document written by Prof Frimpong-Boateng, titled “Report on the work of IMCIM so far and the way forward”.
The AG’s advice issued on Tuesday, September 12, and delivered to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, September 14, which was signed by a Chief State Attorney, Evelyn Keelson, said it could not recommend prosecution of any of the persons named in the report.
The Attorney General thus asked the police to discharge the persons mentioned except those still under investigation.
Following the actions of the AG, the renowned surgeon said the realities of the menace will be evident for all to see soon.
“I am not at all surprised with that characterisation by the Attorney General.”
“We can all close our eyes and trivialise the destruction of the environment and its biodiversity, but the reality of these criminal actions by people who have no conscience and love for the country will be evident in the near future, if not soon,” he stated in a press release on Thursday, October 12.
But the Deputy Attorney General has challenged the renowned surgeon to back his allegations with evidence.
According to the Deputy AG, the Office of the Attorney General does not go to court on hearsay but with hardcore evidence.
He insisted that, without evidence, nobody can be prosecuted. He thus asked the venerable professor to assist his office in dealing with the matter.
“Advice has been offered, an opinion has been offered. Anyone who thinks that he has evidence that will also support us to review our opinion, why not?
“But we will not in any way take a matter to court, where we will be seriously bruised and embarrassed. As prosecutors, you go to court with hard evidence, not speculations.”
“So you can say Mr. A has stolen. That is the allegation. What has he stolen? Then you come with evidence. Mr. A is engaged in galamsey. That is the allegation. What is the evidence?
“It’s possible that you may go to a forest and realise that people have engaged in illegal mining, but you may mention my name as the one who did it. That is not enough.”
“You should be able to get evidence to show that, yes, I was there, and I was the one who engaged people to do that. We do this work based on evidence, not on conjectures,” Mr. Tuah-Yeboah said.