The Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah has stated that he cannot be ‘kowtowed’ to Exton Cubic Group Limited’s threats of suing him if he fails to return their impounded equipment.

According to him, he will only release the equipment until he gets documents permitting them to mine bauxite in the Tano-Offin Forest Reserve in the region.

The Ministry through the Forestry Commission weeks ago issued a license to Exton Cubic Group Limited, to mine bauxite in the Region.

He indicated that until the ban on galamsey is lifted, he does not see the need for people to mine saying he will not accept verbal agreement.

.“Until we get the document we are not releasing them (equipment) . . . I am not taking anything verbal. I need all the documents; item by item and then we will review it. When everything is okay, we will release them.

‘Until the ban (on small scale mining) is over, if we allow people to start mining, the efforts of the President in fighting illegal mining will come to nought. Why the rush, why can’t we wait for the ban to be over. The Minister should bring the documents or any agreement he had with the company . . .,” the Regional Minister said on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’.

The said equipment belong to Engineers and Planners (E&P) owned by Ibrahim Mahama, the former President John Dramani Mahama’s brother who was contracted by Exton to prospect for the bauxite.

But Mr Osei-Mensah added that he was not privy to the license issued to the company, asking why the appropriate authorities failed to alert him when the company was going to mine under his jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Mr Osei-Mensah has written a letter to Mr Amewu questioning why he issued a license to the company through the Forestry Commission bearing in mind government’s ban.

“They can do and say whatever they want to say; what I am saying is that the minister should bring the documents; what is difficult about this . . . it’s one too many; you should know there is a Regional Minister, there are District Chief Executives (and so in such situations) inform them so that when something happens they will be able to defend it,” he said.