Legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has emphasized that revoking mining licenses and announcing arrests are not enough in the fight against illegal mining.
According to him, justice should be pursued through the courts, with a primary focus on holding financiers and corporate executives accountable.
In an interview with TV3 on Tuesday, April 22, Mr. Kpebu emphasized that the public should look beyond news of arrests or license revocations and focus on whether the masterminds, particularly financiers of illegal mining, are being held legally accountable.
“My delight is not in a headline that will say that the chairman is in cells. No, my delight will be that the case has arrived in court. Chairman and Akonta Mining are in the dock being held accountable,” he said.
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He emphasized that physical arrests and license revocations are not the true indicators of justice. Instead, he believes that prosecution in a court of law is the only way to ensure meaningful accountability.
“Let’s not put too much premium on his physical arrest,” he added
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This call for deeper accountability follows the government’s recent revocation of the mining license of Akonta Mining, a company that is allegedly connected to illegal mining.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources announced that investigations led to the license withdrawal and that 51 individuals, including eight Chinese nationals and 43 Ghanaians, were arrested in the process.
However, there has been no public indication that top-level people in the company have been arrested or charged.
