Presidential staffer denies involvement in galamsey after being named in report

A presidential staffer, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, has refuted claims of his involvement in illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as “galamsey”.

His name was mentioned in a leaked 2021 report by former Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, which implicated some Jubilee House staff in the illegal activity.

Several individuals mentioned in the report have denied the allegations either partially or entirely and some are demanding a retraction of the claims made against them.

Tagoe released a statement denying any involvement in galamsey but did disclose a single instance where he contacted the former minister, who at the time chaired the government’s anti-galamsey committee, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

Tagoe’s statement read, “I want to state unequivocally that I am not associated with galamsey. In 2019, I spoke with Prof. Frimpong-Boateng about an excavator that was being transported on a low-bed vehicle on a highway. He requested information, which I provided, but I did not follow up on his request, and I have no knowledge of what happened to the excavator.”

Tagoe went on to express his disappointment in Prof. Frimpong-Boateng for mentioning him in his report and emphasized that he has no involvement in illegal mining activities.

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