Immediate-past Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh has denied claims that he is involved in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).
Mr Asomah Cheremeh has been listed in a publication on some news portals as one of the many bigwigs of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) engaged in illegal mining.
However, Mr Asomah-Cheremeh who himself is a lawyer, through his lawyer Kwabena Asare Atuah in a statement sighted by Naagyeifmonline.com vehemently refuted being involved in the illegal act.
Below is the statement
19TH MAY, 2021
TO: GHANAWEB
REJOINDER: ‘LIST OF NPP BIGWIGS RUMOURED TO BE GALAMSEY KINGPINS’.
Respectfully, I act as Counsel for Hon. Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh (hereinafter referred to as my client) upon whose instructions I write this letter.
My client’s attention has been drawn to a story on your website and other media platforms titled ‘LIST OF NPP BIGWIGS RUMOURED TO BE GALAMSEY
KINGPINS’ where he has been rumoured to be involved in galamsey.
The story goes further to state that my client was arrested by the MCE of Tarkwa together with his taskforce for taking monies from illegal miners when he was the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. The news item further claimed that “the case is at the Tarkwa Police station and this incident occurred in 2020”.
My client wants to state emphatically that he has never engaged in galamsey (illegal mining) and owns no concession.
There has not been any circumstance in which my client aided, enabled or endorsed any entity or individual to engage in galamsey.
Contrary to the allegations, my client had devoted his might, attention, knowledge and resources with the help of the officers at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to fight galamsey and would therefore urge the public to disregard any unfounded and false allegation levelled against him.
My client has never visited any galamsey site to take monies from illegal miners nor has he been arrested by any person or by Hon. Gilbert Ken Asmah, the then MCE of Tarkwa.
It is therefore unreasonable to say that my client had a hand in the dismissal of Hon. Gilbert Ken Asmah and he never reported or recommended the dismissal of Hon. Gilbert Ken Asmah to President Akufo-Addo.
My client demands that the falsehood you have published against him in the circumstance above be retracted or face legal action.
Finally, my client requests all and sundry especially the media houses and journalists to verify any information regarding galamsey from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources before publication.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
KWABENA ASARE ATUAH
COUNSEL FOR HON. ASOMAH-CHEREMEH CC: ALL MEDIA HOUSES
Source:starrfm.com.gh