BY Grace Zigah
In a move that underscores growing public demand for accountability in the ongoing battle against illegal mining, private legal practitioner, Kwesi Botchway Jnr. has formally petitioned the Office of the Attorney-General for an update on the Economic and Organised Crime Office’s (EOCO) investigations into alleged galamsey activities involving National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Organiser Joseph Yamin and National Vice Chairperson Yakubu Abanga.
The petition, dated December 17, 2025, comes nearly six months after the Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, instructed EOCO to probe suspected illegal mining operations being carried out by certain individuals including NDC officials within the country’s mining districts.
The directive, issued on July 15, 2025, specifically named Joseph Yamin and Abanga for interrogation and also called for investigations into matters arising from the Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng report on illegal mining.
In his petition, Kwasi Botchway Jnr. requested three key pieces of information from the Attorney-General: the current progress of EOCO’s investigations, any interim findings submitted by EOCO to the AG’s office, and the expected timelines for completion of the probe.
The legal practitioner emphasized that the request was grounded in the significant public interest surrounding the allegations, as well as the national consequences of illegal mining activities that continue to damage water bodies, forest reserves, and local livelihoods.
“This request is borne out of growing public concern, corroborated by media reports and intelligence, regarding the involvement of some citizens — particularly members of the current government — in unauthorized mining operations, generally called galamsey, that are in blatant contravention of the provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Act 995,” Botchway Jnr. stated in his petition.
The EOCO investigation stems from a wider controversy surrounding allegations that rogue anti-galamsey operatives, sometimes claiming political backing, have been harassing legal miners and extorting payments under the guise of enforcing mining regulations.
In July, the Concerned Small-Scale Mining Group Ghana (CSSMGG) publicly accused Yamin and Abanga of providing political cover for such operations, which they said were particularly active in the Ashanti and Western regions.
Both NDC officials have consistently denied the allegations, stressing their commitment to legal mining and the rule of law.
Kwasi Botchway Jnr. stressed in his petition that transparency in EOCO’s findings is critical to restoring public confidence in the fight against illegal mining.
He argued that, in line with the Attorney-General’s earlier directive, any results or interim reports produced by EOCO should be made available to the public to strengthen accountability and ensure that all individuals involved are held responsible under the law.
The petition marks the latest development in a high-profile investigation that has drawn national attention due to the political stature of those implicated and the broader socio-environmental impact of galamsey.
Observers note that the public is closely monitoring EOCO’s progress, with expectations that the findings could set a precedent for how politically connected actors are scrutinized in the extractive sector.
