The Minority Caucus in Parliament has expressed deep concern and outrage over revelations that the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Birim Central, Mr. Solomon Kusi Brako, allegedly imposed and collected fines from illegal miners operating in Akyem Oda, only to release them to continue their activities.
According to the Minority, the MCE’s own public admission raises serious ethical and legal questions about the government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The matter came to light after some of the affected miners—who reportedly identified themselves as NDC branch executives—complained that the same MCE who took money from them later instructed the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to raid their sites, destroying their equipment.
Following media reports, including excerpts from a leaked tape allegedly recorded during an NDC platform discussion, Mr. Brako held a press conference confirming that his Municipal Finance Officer had indeed collected money from the miners as “legal fines.” The MCE even presented receipts as evidence of the transaction.
However, the Minority Caucus has strongly disputed the legality and authenticity of these fines, posing several key questions to the government:
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Why is the President’s representative in Birim Central defending fines for illegal mining, a practice that has caused massive environmental degradation, while the President continues to proclaim a fight against galamsey?
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Why did the same MCE later direct security operations to destroy the miners’ equipment after allegedly accepting “legal fines” from them?
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Does the MCE have the authority to impose and collect fines, contrary to the provisions of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which reserves such powers for the courts?
Citing Section 46 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), the Minority emphasised that any person found guilty of mining offenses is to be fined or imprisoned only by order of a competent court. They described the MCE’s actions as ultra vires—beyond his lawful authority.
Receipt controversy deepens doubt
The controversy intensified when the MCE displayed one of the receipts to the media during his press conference. The document, labelled as:
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Receipt Book No.: 03729141
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Date: September 25, 2025
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Payer: Vincent Sedjara
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Amount: GH¢15,000
Upon examination, observers noted that the MCE presented what he described as the original receipt still attached to the receipt book—a clear breach of standard accounting practice, as the original is typically issued to the payer.
“This raises suspicions of fabrication and cover-up,” the Minority stated, pointing out that if the receipt was truly issued a month earlier, it could not still be fixed in the booklet.
Assembly records contradict MCE’s claims
Official financial records from the Birim Central Assembly also appear to contradict the MCE’s account. The supposed payment was made on September 25, 2025, yet the Assembly’s 2026 budget, presented on October 21, 2025, recorded total revenue from fines for the entire year at GH¢12,813—a figure far below the GH¢55,000 allegedly collected from miners.
The Minority argues that this discrepancy suggests the payments were never officially recorded, calling the transactions a possible case of extortion and financial misconduct.
Minority calls for full investigation
The Minority Caucus has therefore called on state investigative bodies to immediately probe the conduct of the MCE and all persons involved, stressing that corruption and cover-ups have no place in the fight against illegal mining.
“The fight against galamsey must not be compromised by abuse of office or personal enrichment,” the statement concluded.
