Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene has cautioned against the summary dismissal of the Amansie Central District Chief Executive over alleged involvement in illegal mining extortion, insisting that constitutional principles of natural justice must guide any administrative action.
Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Illegal Mining on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Dr Amoakohene maintained that while the allegations are grave, the government must adhere to due process before taking terminal administrative action.
His intervention follows an explosive JoyNews investigation that revealed a pay-to-destroy syndicate where the Amansie Central District Assembly allegedly collected illicit taxes from illegal miners to allow them to operate with impunity.
The Regional Minister addressed claims that the Local Government Minister had assured the public that some officials would be interdicted pending investigations. Dr Amoakohene stated he was not aware of such directives, insisting that the law of natural justice must guide decisions, noting that when petitions are filed against Chief Justices or Electoral Commissioners, it does not mean they are immediately interdicted.
He questioned whether any law mandates automatic suspension once a petition is filed, emphasizing that the principle of presumption of innocence until proven guilty must be respected.
Dr Amoakohene revealed that he and the Local Government Minister were on a committee to listen to all sides and delve into the matter to establish facts and clear conclusions. He confirmed that in response to a formal petition filed by JoyNews following the documentary’s airing, the presidency has constituted a special committee to investigate the extortion allegations.
The minister called for patience as investigations proceed, assuring that once wrongdoing is established against any official, appropriate action will be taken without requiring public calls.
The documentary has become a litmus test for President John Dramani Mahama’s resolve to end illegal mining, showing how local authorities in the Ashanti Region allegedly charged miners up to GH¢12,000 per excavator, a practice that directly undermines the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat operations.
Political pressure has mounted for swift action. Civil society groups and activists have demanded immediate interdiction and prosecution of implicated officials to send a strong deterrent message against collusion with illegal miners.
Dr Amoakohene argued that the mere levelling of allegations, regardless of the strength of the broadcast evidence, does not automatically trigger a sack under Ghanaian law, emphasizing that for the Accra Reset agenda to succeed, it must be rooted in the rule of law rather than victimization.
