Galamsey kingpin to be arrested in the coming days – Sammy Gyamfi

The acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has disclosed that a prominent figure involved in illegal mining—along with his close associates—will be arrested in the coming days.

Speaking during a television interview with Channel One TV on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, Mr Gyamfi said the imminent arrest signals the beginning of a more aggressive phase in the government’s renewed clampdown on illegal mining, distancing the current efforts from what he described as a “charade” under the previous administration.

“Mark my words, in the next few days, one of the biggest kingpins in galamsey and his collaborators will be arrested. That’s all I can tell you for now,” he stated.

Mr Gyamfi asserted that the current fight against illegal mining is substantive and no longer for show.

“There was no real fight against illegal mining under the previous regime—it was a complete charade,” he charged. “Now, the police, the military, and national security are all involved. This time, it’s real.”

He claimed that under former President John Mahama’s leadership, the response to illegal mining is structured and transparent, with seized excavators properly accounted for, prosecutions actively pursued, and foreign nationals involved in illicit mining subjected to legal processes rather than mere deportation.

Mr Gyamfi acknowledged the scale of environmental destruction caused by galamsey over the past eight years but said progress is being made in reversing the damage.

“You don’t expect rivers polluted with mercury and cyanide for years to suddenly become crystal clear within four years,” he remarked. “It’s a process, not an event.”

He disclosed that President Mahama has ordered the revocation of all mining leases in protected forest reserves, adding that directors and shareholders of companies found to be complicit in environmental violations will be held accountable.

Responding to calls for a state of emergency over illegal mining, Mr Gyamfi clarified that while some NDC members supported the idea, the party as a whole never endorsed it.

“I was consistent even in opposition. The problem wasn’t the absence of a state of emergency—it was the absence of political will. Now we have leadership that’s taking real action,” he said.

Mr Gyamfi also announced that the NDC government will move to revoke Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 as soon as Parliament reconvenes. The law currently permits the President to approve mining leases within protected forest reserves—an arrangement critics say has fuelled environmental degradation.

“L.I. 2462 is poisonous, and its repeal is a top priority,” Mr Gyamfi stated. “There were initial legal debates on whether to amend or scrap it, but the consensus now is clear—it must go.”

He said consultations with Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine have concluded, and the legal documents required for the repeal are ready for submission to Parliament.

Mr Gyamfi revealed that 44 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves have been significantly impacted by illegal mining, but security operations have successfully reclaimed seven of the most affected.

So far, 125 excavators, 10 bulldozers, seven pickup trucks, and 15 motorbikes have been seized during operations.

He stressed that, unlike under the previous government, no equipment has gone missing under the current administration, and no officials have been implicated in illegal mining activities.

“You won’t hear of drones missing or excavators disappearing. The President has made it clear: any official involved in illegal mining will be dismissed and prosecuted,” Mr Gyamfi said.

While welcoming recent progress, the GoldBod CEO acknowledged that Ghana’s battle against illegal mining is far from over. He called for continued public support, stressing that the current reforms aim to build enduring systems that will outlive political cycles.

“We’re not just reacting. We are dismantling networks and strengthening institutions. The financiers, the directors, the powerful figures behind this—they are not above the law,” he added.

The repeal of L.I. 2462 is expected to mark a turning point in Ghana’s forest and mining governance, reinforcing the NDC’s pledge to protect the country’s natural resources and restore degraded ecosystems.