Information gathered from the Bogoso Prestea Mines and Newmont’s Akyem mines reveals officials at the Ministry of Lands and the Mineral Commission are engaged in last-minute shady deals to sell off the two mining firms.
According to reports, the country is certainly going to face certain legal consequences soon with another enormous judgment debt looming.
The Bogoso Prestea Mines have been given to a Turkish company whilst Newmont’s Akyem Mine has been bought by a Chinese company in the region of over US$1 billion.
Report gathered reveals the Turkish Company that acquired the Bogoso Prestea Mines is spreading some 20 million dollars to some key officials involved in the deal.
The Bogoso Prestea Mines is currently owned by a British company named FGR Bogoso Prestea Mines, the British owners in recent times have criticized Samuel Abu Jinapor and the Mineral Commission led by Martin Ayisi, and its Board led by Barbara Oteng Gyasi.
The Bogoso Prestea Mines is valued in the region of US$40 million. While plans were ongoing to hand over the mines to the Turkish and their Ghanaian partners, the current owner a British company, FGR Bogoso Prestea Mines had threatened the Akufo-Addo government of going to court, the Minerals Commission and other interested parties, have received notice of dispute both in Ghana and in overseas.
The British owners FGR Bogoso Prestea Mines, started a process locally to injunct the Akufo-Addo government after a letter by Samuel Abu Jinapor dated November 12, 2024, addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Mineral Commission, Martin Ayisi, became public.
In the said letter Abu Jinapor asked for the Bogoso Prestea Mines to be given to Heath Goldfields Limited a partner of the Turkish owners meaning the Turkish, owners of Heath Goldfields Limited, are taking the asset from the British who have been financing the company, including paying the salaries and others benefits of the staffs.
With barely three weeks to the 2024 General elections giving Bogoso Prestea Mines to a Ghanaian company with no track records is raising serious questions in the mining industry.
For the Akyem mines, the Lands Ministry and the Mineral Commission are working towards handing over the mines to the Chinese.
Both shady deals are expected to go to Parliament for approval and with few weeks to the election, it’s not certain that the deal will be done before President Akufo-Addo, tenure of office expires.
Meanwhile, sources has predicted that whoever comes into government after the December polls will be walking into a storm, with the actions of the officials at the Ministry of Lands and the Minerals Commission.
