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Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has directed the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to launch a full-scale investigation into alleged illegal mining activities involving top executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a letter dated Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Dr Ayine ordered EOCO to interrogate Joseph Yamin, the NDC’s National Organiser, and Yakubu Abanga, National Vice Chairman, over their suspected involvement in unauthorised small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
The directive follows heightened public concern, intelligence assessments, and widespread media coverage of illegal mining’s destructive impact on Ghana’s environment.
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“These activities not only flout our mining regulations but also gravely endanger our water bodies, forest reserves, and local livelihoods,” the Attorney General noted in the letter.
Dr Ayine has also instructed EOCO to broaden the scope of its probe to include any other individuals who may be complicit in illegal mining, with particular reference to issues raised in the Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng report on galamsey operations.
To enhance the effectiveness of the investigation, EOCO is expected to work closely with the Minerals Commission, which plays a critical regulatory role in Ghana’s mining sector.
This development aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Agenda, which prioritises environmental protection and aims to restore discipline to Ghana’s natural resource governance framework.
“The president has consistently reiterated his government’s firm commitment to eradicating illegal mining and restoring sanity to the natural resource governance regime in Ghana,” the attorney general said.
EOCO has been urged to treat the matter with urgency, consistent with its statutory mandate under the Economic and Organised Crime Office Act, 2010 (Act 804).
