The National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Yamin, has challenged those accusing him of engaging in illegal mining to provide credible evidence, maintaining that no state investigative body is probing him for any galamsey-related offence.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM's Dwaso Nsem, Mr Yamin said his name had repeatedly been associated with illegal mining in public discourse despite the absence of any evidence linking him to such activities.

"Now it is everywhere that I am involved in galamsey. Meanwhile, I am not being investigated for galamsey," he stated.

He explained that the issue currently before the authorities was not an investigation into illegal mining but rather allegations that some unidentified persons were purportedly using his name to intimidate members of the public.

"Someone is alleging that there is a group terrorising people using my name," he said.

Mr Yamin questioned why the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had not publicly established whether such a group actually exists, arguing that if the allegations were true, the security agency should have acted to dismantle it.

"Where I have a problem is how long it has taken EOCO to come out to say whether, indeed, there is a parallel group linked to Yamin so that they can disband the group," he added.

The NDC National Organiser insisted that allegations of criminal conduct must be supported by verifiable evidence rather than speculation or public commentary.

"I have said it countless times that if someone has evidence that I am involved in galamsey, they should bring it."

He further challenged his critics to identify any mining concession or operation linked to him.

"Or is it invisible? Am I doing it spiritually such that nobody can see and prove it? Or can somebody say this is Yamin's galamsey site, or these are people mining for Yamin?" he asked.

Responds to NPP allegations

Mr Yamin's remarks come in the wake of claims by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the government was applying what it described as selective justice in the fight against illegal mining.

At a press conference on Monday following the conviction and 20-year prison sentence imposed on the NPP's Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the party's General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, argued that while the government had vigorously prosecuted political opponents, allegations involving some persons associated with the governing NDC had not been pursued with the same urgency.

Responding to those assertions, Mr Yamin questioned whether the mere existence of a petition should be treated as proof of wrongdoing.

"So when the NPP's Justin Kodua uses the letter to EOCO as a defence for Wontumi, I ask myself, are we not overlooking or abusing rights?" he said.

He stressed that accusations alone should not be used to convict individuals in the court of public opinion, reiterating that the rule of law requires evidence before criminal liability can be established.

According to him, anyone in possession of information linking him to illegal mining should present it to the appropriate investigative authorities rather than rely on unsubstantiated allegations in the public domain.