Appiatse explosion: Three-member committee presents report to lands minister

The three-member committee set up by the Ministry pf Lands and Natural Resources to investigate the Appiatse explosion has submitted its report to the sector minister Samuel Abu Jinapor.

The committee which was chaired by a former CEO of the minerals commission and a current technical advisor to the lands ministry, Ben Aryee, was tasked to among others ascertain whether there was compliance with the minerals and mining explosives regulations LI 2177, section 107 and 105.

The committee was also asked to determine if the parties involved followed due diligence before transporting the explosives.

Jinapor commended the committee for a comprehensive work to aid the government’s effort to institute measures to forestall a future occurrence.

“I must say that the committee was to submit our report on Thursday (27 January) as directed by the minister. We took more time than was required of us because we wanted to do a good job. We have dispassionately looked at the facts that were presented to us which we were able to have unearthed and objectively we have put together the facts to the extent we could establish them.

“…And on the basis of this, we have presented our findings and then some recommendations were made. We were able to over the period, visit the relevant stakeholders, we were able to talk to witnesses to the various incidents and through the interviews and our observations, we’ve come up with this report which we’re going to present,” the chairman said.

After receiving the report, Jinapor emphasised that the committee’s work did not centre on criminal investigation therefore it will not undermine other investigations by the police and other security agencies.

“The terms of reference of the Aryee committee and the work they did and the report they presented to me was not and is not a criminal investigation. They were not interested in the criminal culpability per say of the incident of Appiatse. That continues to be in the remit of the Ghana Police Service and the other investigations which I believe are ongoing.

“…This committee and this work are absolute without prejudice to those ongoing investigations. Neither does it constitute a bar or is without prejudice to any civil liability which may exist in respect of this incident. What I am interested in as the minister responsible for lands and natural resources and for that matter mining is whether or not the regulatory regime of the mining as it relates to explosives were adhered to or not,” he stated.

Nicholas Brown

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