There’s enough evidence to prosecute 'excavators thieves' – NDC to Godfred Dame

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has opined that there is enough to prosecute Ekow Ewusi, Seth Mantey, John Ofori Atta, and others involved in the alleged stolen excavators scandal.

National Communications Officer lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, addressing a press conference on Monday, October 16, 2023, disclosed that the former Minister for Environment, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, provided enough evidence to prosecute those involved.

The party was responding to the advice of the Attorney-General to the Police over the matter.

It was the opinion of the NDC that the Attorney-General was covering up instead of prosecuting those involved in the matter.

Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi in his address said “On the issue of the stealing and sale of seized excavators, it is an irrefutable fact, that Prof. Frimpong Boateng as Minister for Environment reported the then Central Regional Vice Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Horace Ekow Ewusi and others to the Police sometime in 2019, as the persons responsible for the missing excavators.

The advice of the Attorney-General recounts how Prof. Frimpong-Boateng furnished the Police with the statement of one Seth Mantey, a journalist previously with Accra-based Peace FM in which the journalist formally confessed that he was the errand boy of one John Ofori Atta, Central Regional Security Coordinator, and a member of GalamStop, and that, in the course of the operation of GalamStop, he became a contact boy for miners whose excavators were seized by the task force.

In his statement to the Police, Seth Mantey confessed that miners were directed by John Ofori Atta to pay between GHS50,000 and GHS55,000 into his bank account at NIB to influence the anti-galamsey taskforce to release the seized excavators.

Seth Mantey further stated that all the monies paid into his bank account were withdrawn by him and paid to the Central Regional Security Coordinator, John Ofori Atta who gave Ekow Ewusi his share.

According to Seth Mantey, about twenty-seven (27) of the seized excavators were released to these miners.

All these facts are contained in Seth Mantey’s own statement which he gave to the Police upon his arrest in 2019.

More importantly, Prof. Frimpong Boateng has furnished the Police with the bank statement of the said NIB account belonging to Seth Mantey which confirms the aforementioned facts.”

The lawyer went on to state that these issues raised in the report by the former minister are enough to prosecute those who have been named.

“In the face of this smoking gun evidence, what other evidence does any reasonable prosecutor need to prosecute Seth Mantey, John Ofori Atta and Ekow Ewusi for the stolen/missing excavators?

In any case, what has the Police done about this scandal since the matter was formally reported by Prof. Frimpong Boateng in 2019?

The Attorney-General should tell Ghanaians about the outcome of this investigation if any, and how as AG, he worked with the Police to thoroughly investigate this matter in the interest of the public.

Why are the likes of Horace Ekow Ewusi, Seth Mantey and John Ofori Atta, who are the key perpetrators of this crime against the state, still walking free?

Why is Godfred Dame deferring the prosecution of the culprits in this matter under the guise of further investigations by the Police in the face of such smoking gun evidence?

How many years does the Police need to investigate this open and shut matter?

The evasive and shameless Attorney-General who is clearly out to pervert justice, must answer these pertinent questions.”