Akufo-Addo’s galamsey fight 'scam' calculated to enrich cronies, NPP topshots – NDC

President Nana Akufo-Addo's alleged fight against galamsey has always been a scam, the main opposition National Democratic Congress has said.

Following a recent exposè by former minister Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng that top government officials at the presidency were neck-deep involved in galamsey, the NDC, at a press conference on Tuesday, 25 April 2023, dubbed: ‘Moment of Truth Series’ at its headquarters in Acccra, said: “Galamsey was obviously bound to flourish under the corrupt Akufo-Addo-Bawumia regime because it was the central source for illegal gold purchases used in this complex money laundering scheme which has been uncovered by Aljazeera."

The party’s national Communications Officer, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, told journalists: "This scheme is being perpetrated against the state by high powerful forces."

“As we, the NDC, have always maintained, President Akufo-Addo’s claim of fighting galamsey was the biggest scam ever to be perpetrated on Ghanaians," Mr Gyamfi insisted.

He said: "Today, the NDC stands to be vindicated", he indicated, as Prof Frimpong-Boateng's report "has confirmed our long-held opinion."

"There has never been any genuine commitment or attempt to fight galamsey by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government," Mr Gyamfi said.

He noted: "The said report shows clearly that the so-called fight against galamsey was a charade calculated to enable top government and NPP functionaries to appropriate and take over the illicit galamsey trading."

Some of the names dropped by Prof Frimpong-Boateng include Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Director of Operations at the Jubilee House Lord Commey, the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), among others.

Most of them have issued statements denying the allegations made against them.