Guldrest Resources Company Limited (Ghana) has described as “spurious and a bunch of untruths bereft of substance”, an undercover work conducted by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit, which accused the miner of involvement in gold smuggling and money laundering.

Guldrest said in a rejoinder to the Al Jazeera publication that the “scathing” and “damning” allegations were nothing but “fake news”.

The company said the allegations “were unjust, injurious and actionable in law”.

“Guldrest Resources Ghana has, accordingly instructed its lawyers to explore the option of legal action against the publishers responsible”, the company said in a statement.

Below is the full text of Guldrest Resources’ (Ghana) response as sent to Al Jazeera:

Between the 6th and 7th days of April 2023, the attention of Guldrest Resources Company Limited was drawn to some publications by Al Jazeera News Network and its investigative unit on some spurious and scathing allegations of gold smuggling and money laundering levelled against Guldrest Resources, a registered Ghanaian company.

Guldrest Resources Ghana wishes to react to the aforementioned damning publications as follows:

1. The contents of the said allegations of 6th – 7th April, 2023 are without any substance of facts and truth. We implore all who have read the said fake news to ignore same as palpable falsehood and unethically made in utmost bad faith and actuated by malice.

2. In a letter dated March 23, 2023 and delivered on 31st March 2023, Al Jazeera and its cronies alleged that per their investigative report, Guldrest Resources FZC in the UAE received some laundered cash equivalent to USD$16 million from Kaloti Jewellery International DMCC in 2012.

3. Guldrest Resources Ghana duly responded in writing on 3rd April, 2023 and denied the claims as untruths, bereft of substance and put Al Jazeera and cronnies to proof. Al Jazeera then changed their story on April 4, 2023, via email and alleged that Guldrest Resources Ghana rather had a subsidiary company in Dubai called Guldrest Resources FZC and therefore wants to know whether this entity (Guldrest Resource FZC) received cash equivalent to USD$16million from Kaloti Jewellery International DMCC in 2012.

4. Guldrest Resources Ghana rebutted this claim per letter dated 5th April, 2023 as false and spineless in response to their request made through this email address: righttoreply@aljazeera.net; whatsapp +44 7908 782675.

5. Guldrest Resources avers that no credible investigation report exists at all. There is also no video where Alistair Mathias, an alleged gold smuggler and money launderer, claimed to be owner of Guldrest Resources or used Guldrest Resources Ghana to smuggle gold outside Ghana or launder money to and from Ghana or have such relationship at all. The alleged claims are false. Guldrest Resources Ghana is a reputable law-abiding company of repute and does not engage in illicit trade.

6. In the aforesaid responses of Guldrest Resources Ghana, it made it categorically clear that those scathing allegations by Al Jazeera and its investigative unit were unjust, injurious and actionable in law. Guldrest Resources Ghana has accordingly instructed its lawyers to explore the option of legal action against the publishers responsible.

7. Guldrest Resources Ghana reiterates to the public with deserving assurances that it respects the laws of Ghana and all international protocols. It urges the public to ignore the aforesaid publications by Al Jazeera and its cronies as FAKE NEWS OR FALSEHOOD.

GULDREST RESOURCES GHANA