Akonta Mining Company Limited has filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, and the Minerals Commission, challenging the recent revocation of its mining lease.
The company’s legal action follows the government’s decision, announced on Monday, April 21, 2025, to cancel Akonta Mining’s license due to its alleged involvement in illegal mining—popularly known as galamsey—within protected forest reserves.
At a press briefing in Accra on the same day, Minister Armah-Kofi Buah disclosed findings from recent undercover investigations. He revealed that Akonta Mining, although licensed to operate off-reserve, had encroached on the Aboi and Tano Nimiri Forest Reserves in the Western North Region without the necessary permits.
“Although Akonta Mining holds a license to operate off-reserve, the company had encroached on the Aboi and Tano Nimiri Forest Reserves in the Western North Region,” the Minister said.
He further alleged that the company had commercialised access to these forest reserves, selling concessions to illegal miners for as much as GHS 300,000. Some miners were also reported to have paid up to 250 grams of gold weekly in royalties to Akonta Mining.
In response to these claims, the company filed a suit on Tuesday, April 29, seeking GHS 20 million in damages and a retraction of what it describes as defamatory statements.
According to the statement of claim:
“Special/aggravated damages for libel published by the Defendant herein and republished by local and international media in the sum of Ghc20,000,000 (Twenty Million Ghana Cedis).”
The company is also demanding:
“An order compelling the Defendant to retract the defamatory statements published against the Plaintiff Company and issue an unqualified public apology with equal prominence across media platforms, including television, radio, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X.”
Other reliefs sought include:
- An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Minister from making further defamatory statements.
- Full reimbursement of legal costs and lawyer’s fees.
- Any other relief the court may deem appropriate.
The case is expected to test the balance between government enforcement against illegal mining and the legal rights of affected companies.
