If I were a thief, I'd be among Ghana's wealthiest - Prof. Frimpong-Boateng

In a noteworthy statement made in response to allegations of corruption, a former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has emphasized his integrity, stating that he is grateful he did not engage in illicit activities which could have made him wealthy.

Addressing corruption-related issues related to expenditures by the disbanded Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, which he chaired, Prof Frimpong-Boateng shared his firm belief that if he were involved in dishonest practices, he would have amassed significant wealth in the country.

"If I were a thief, I would be one of the very wealthy people in this country. If we all thought about Ghana and had the best interests of this country at heart, we would not be where we are now," he said in an interview with TV3.

In an ongoing investigation conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Prof Frimpong-Boateng was invited to address corruption-related matters on the back of the report he spearheaded on activities of small-scale mining in the country.

Following his appearance, the former minister was granted a GH¢2 million bail by the OSP.

In an interview with 3news, the renowned surgeon provided a full account of his invitation to the OSP's office on May 15, 2023, which culminated in his arrest and subsequent bail.

"We waited at the lobby down there, and that was my first time in that building.

"We arrived around 10 o'clock, waiting for my lawyer. When he came, we were taken upstairs to the 7th floor, where the office is, and then we were ushered into a room. I was given a chair, and opposite me was the Chief Investigator.

"On my right, there were my two lawyers, and then some officers from that office.

"So, as soon as I sat down, the Chief Investigator came to me. I was sitting down, and then he put his left hand on my right shoulder and said, 'Professor, you are under arrest.'

"Why? He said they are investigating corruption and corruption-related activities of the IMCIM that I was chairman of. Any specific thing I had done? No, they are just doing their investigations, but all the same, I was under arrest," Prof. Frimpong Boateng said.

According to him, he found the arrest "strange," considering preceding events, including some lawsuits brought against him.

Prof. Boateng-Boateng further revealed that he was subjected to two hours of investigation at the OSP's office before being granted a GHC2 million bail.

"They did not even suggest self-recognizance bail. I needed somebody to bail me. So, a friend of mine was down there, and he came up and bailed me, and so I left, and they went with my friend to his house," he stressed.

He added that he is expected to report back to the OSP for further investigation.

YNA/AE