A High Court in Accra has set February 8, 2018, to give a ruling on an injunction application filed by Exton Cubic Limited, challenging the revocation of their mining lease by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister.
The Minister, John Peter Amewu, revoked the company’s licenses to prospect in the Nyinahini bauxite concession of the Tano Offin Forest Reserve, describing the company’s operations there as illegal because of invalid mining leases.
[contextly_sidebar id=”7pSj2ecemFNfFW0DR0ThcSXf9i5pT1vn”]Lawyers for the company told the court that the Minister acted unreasonably by revoking the license without allowing the company opportunity to meet all requirements.
They prayed the court to order a restoration of the license.
The company also wants to protect its rights to the concession, and is thus seeking an order of injunction preventing the Ministry from granting the rights acquired by Exton Cubic Group to any other person.
Prior to all this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), had indicated that Exton Cubic reneged on commitments to submit a liability estimate of environmental degradation, among others.
Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, who represented the state, opposed the application describing it as incompetent in form, saying it lacked substance.
The withdrawal of the license came to public attention when earth moving equipment and vehicles belonging to Exton Cubic’s sub-contractor, Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners (E&P), were impounded at Nyinahin, the community where the forest reserve is located.
This was on the orders of the Ashanti Regional Minister following suspicions the mining company was operating illegally.
At the time, Mr. Amewu explained that his Ministry had granted Exton Cubic Group Limited an entry permit into the Nyinahin bauxite concession.
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By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana