The Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), Dr Hanna Louisa Bisiw-Kotei, has leveled serious allegations against Owusu Mensah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Chairman for Manso Nkwanta, accusing him of involvement in illegal mining, commonly known as "galamsey."

Speaking on JoyNews on June 29, 2025, Dr Bisiw-Kotei claimed that Mensah is deeply involved in galamsey activities at a site she alleges belongs to him, located perilously close to a school in one of the communities recently visited by the anti-galamsey task force.

"The heap of this illegal mining thing that I'm saying. I'm looking for the name of the person who is actually digging around the school. He's the NPP chairman for Manso Nkwanta, Chairman Owusu Mensah," she stated.

When pressed by the host regarding the veracity of her claims, Dr Bisiw-Kotei expressed absolute certainty.

She further disclosed that during the task force's raid on the site, the alleged operator attempted to negotiate with the team through an intermediary in authority.

Dr Bisiw-Kotei firmly rejected any such overtures, lamenting the extensive and irreparable damage inflicted upon the land and water bodies by the illegal mining operations.

"That is his site around the school. I'm saying it for a two million percent fact. If you get to know me, I'll not just mention something that I don't know," she asserted.

"And whilst we were there, he got one governor to call us and what I told them was that, we are not here to negotiate anything with anyone. If there's anything to negotiate, it's for the repair and the restoration of the ecosystem that they have destroyed in this community and to give the life of this community back to them," she added.

MAG/VPO

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