By Adnan Adams Mohammed
A major brewing scandal involving the alleged plunder of millions of dollars worth of state-owned gold mining assets has triggered a wave of official petitions, with citizens and civil society groups demanding an immediate, high-level criminal probe into the unlawful takeover and sale of State Gold Mining Corporation (SGMC) properties in Upper Denkyira.
The brewing crisis centers around valuable movable and immovable assets that were successfully defended by the Ghanaian state during intense international arbitration proceedings at The Hague, only to be allegedly sold off unlawfully to private individuals by local authorities.
At the forefront of the exposé are separate petitions fired to the government by Hon. Peter Kofi Owusu-Ashia Jnr, the former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Upper Denkyira, and Mr. George Arthur, the official caretaker of Continental Goldfields Limited properties, alongside prominent civil society organizations.
A Hard-Won Victory Looted?
The root of the controversy dates back to 1995, when the Government of Ghana divested SGMC properties to Continental Goldfields Limited, an Indo-Australian firm. However, after the company repeatedly breached regulatory agreements and defaulted on a US$700,000 debt to the state, its mining licenses were revoked by then-Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Professor Dominic Fobin.
The revocation sparked a bitter legal battle. Continental Goldfields dragged the Municipal Assembly and the Denkyira Traditional Council to court, eventually escalating the matter to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in 2012.
“Government is spending huge sums on litigation at The Hague. Why are these properties being sold while nobody appears interested in stopping the process?” questioned Hon. Kofi Owusu-Ashia Jnr, speaking exclusively on the matter.
The international tribunal ultimately ruled in favor of Ghana between 2015 and 2016, handing a landmark judgment and the vast estate of assets back to the state. Yet, petitioners allege that while the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General’s office held the hard-won judgment in Accra, local actors moved in to strip the asset pool clean.
Shocking Asset Stripping Exposed
According to the investigative petitions submitted to the state, the current Chief of Dunkwa, Nana Obeng Nuamah III, allegedly organized a demonstration to forcefully dislodge the official state caretakers and workers from the facility. Following the takeover, a systematic liquidation of state properties allegedly commenced.
The inventory of allegedly plundered state assets is staggering, spanning mining yards, heavy industrial machinery, and administrative equipment. Left behind for the state but now reportedly sold off were a 30-ton Hyco crane, multiple trailers, concrete mixers, agricultural equipment (including rice thrashers and harrows), 40 bundles of high-grade electrical cables, and a fully equipped factory house containing commercial water production machinery and thousands of gallons of storage tanks.
Even historical state documents, files, and receipt books inside the SGMC offices have allegedly vanished or been compromised.
Petitioners Demand Accountability
The petitioners are expressing deep frustration over what they describe as the government’s apparent paralysis while state properties are pilfered under its nose.
“The two ministries need to act immediately and explain why investigations have not started,” Hon. Kofi Owusu-Ashia Jnr stated sharply, urging the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General to break their silence.
He further noted that it is deeply troubling that public funds are continuously being funneled into international legal battles while the very assets being fought for are actively being disposed of without attracting the attention of the relevant authorities.
The petitioners contend that these multi-million-cedi assets belong strictly to the Ghanaian state and must be fiercely protected in the national interest. They are formally calling for:
● An immediate, independent investigation into the unlawful transactions.
● The instant suspension of any further transfers, developments, or sales of the SGMC lands and properties pending the outcome of a probe.
● The total recovery of all state assets found to have been unlawfully disposed of, and the prosecution of those responsible.
They have strongly urged the government to demonstrate its touted commitment to accountability, transparency, and the protection of public assets by ensuring that any public or traditional official found complicit in this daylight asset-stripping face the full rigors of the law.
State Departments Silent
The implications of the case are severe, raising profound questions about the breakdown of law and order regarding state asset protection at the local government level.
As of the time of filing this investigative report, both the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General had not issued any public response to the petitions, nor have they indicated when a formal inquiry into the actions in Dunkwa-on-Offin will commence.
News Guide Africa continues to track this story as documents unravel.
