A group calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Ghana has withdrawn a petition it earlier filed with state investigative bodies over the alleged unlawful involvement of an unlicensed and investigated individual in Ghana’s GoldBod operations.
In a document sighted by GhanaWeb, the group explained that the decision to withdraw the petition follows recent information it has received on the matter.
“We write further to our earlier petition on the above subject. Due to recent information received on the matters raised in our petition, we wish to withdraw the Petition made against Roger Frimpong Kwakye or Goldstrom and any transaction he may have with Bawa-Rock LTD and Goldbod,” the statement read.
The group had initially petitioned the Office of the Attorney-General, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to probe what it described as the alleged unlawful involvement of an unlicensed and investigated individual in key GoldBod operations, warning of possible abuse and financial loss to the state.
In that petition, the citizens raised what they described as “grave concerns” about the activities of Roger Frimpong Kwakye. They alleged that Roger Kwakye, who is reportedly under active investigation by the OSP over matters relating to “financial loss to the State,” was playing a central role in critical GoldBod activities even though his company, Goldstrom, was not a licensed entity under the GoldBod regime.
According to the petitioners, this situation amounted to a breach of the GoldBod Act, which restricts functions such as assaying, smelting, and pricing of gold strictly to certified and licensed entities.
“How does an individual under serious criminal investigation, including matters relating to financial loss to the State, meet the fit-and-proper standard required to participate, influence, and shape GoldBod operations?” the petition asks.
The Concerned Citizens had made three key demands in their petition. They called for an immediate investigation into Kwakye’s role, Goldstrom’s involvement, and the legality of all related contracts.
They also demanded the suspension of any individual or entity operating within GoldBod without the required licence or employment status under the Act.
Finally, they sought full disclosure of all relevant contracts and the due diligence processes used in selecting vendors.
AK/AM
