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A former Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has set the records straight on claims that illegal mining, known in local parlance as galamsey, was being done in the House of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to him, the illegal miners had encroached a field close to the President’s garden at Kyebi in the Eastern Region.
The heart surgeon’s assertion is contrary to claims made in a leaked galamsey report that illegal mining was being done in the President’s garden.
The former Minister who doubled as Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining says his checks confirmed the issue and that “indeed part of the garden of the President had been affected” without the President’s knowledge.
But in an exclusive interview on JoyNews Wednesday, Professor Frimpong-Boateng made a u-turn.
He stated emphatically that, galamsey was not being done in the house of President Akufo-Addo.
“Galamsey was not being done in the house so were the journalists who went to the house expecting gullies and mountains? he quizzed.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng said the illegal miners who worked on the field near the President’s house were arrested.
He added that, the galamsey in the field happened four years ago and the land has been reclaimed.
“We did not do that because we wanted to slight somebody but we wanted to solve a situation, “Prof Frimpong-Boateng stressed.
