A private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has berated the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Abu Jinapor for his defense on the illegal mining allegations levelled against his deputy, George Mireku Duker.
Mr. Jinapor put up a strong defense of Mireku Duker on the allegation by the Dompim-Pepesa Chief, Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV, that the deputy minister of lands has been engaging in illegal mining.
But, speaking on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah Tuesday, Mr. Kpebu described the move by the Lands Minister, Mr. Jinapor as strange.
According to him, the Minister should not have come to the defense of his deputy without any investigation.
“It is very strange in one sense that the Minister will just go straight to the defense of Mr. Duker. It is very strange. So I think these things should thoroughly be investigated. That is the first thing to do. Since the allegation is coming from a chief.”
“Apart from the chief we have heard these same accusations from others, people who have gone there. But the variant I have heard is the Minister’s brother. I am not shying away from it. Journalists have gone there that if the brother is doing it then it’s because of the deputy minister’s influence,” Mr. Kpebu stated.
He continued: “So Mr. Jinapor really should have exercised judgment and just say that okay we will investigate it. But not to come out categorically in support of the deputy minister.”
Mr. Kpebu also advised the chief to go to the nearest police station and lodge a complaint which will give some weight to the allegation.
“Just as I said that we are going to report Chairman Wontumi to the police and we are working on it. So the chief should also go to the police or he can write a petition to the police. Because this particular matter has variants, some say it is his brother, others say it is himself so we have to get to the bottom of it.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
