The High Court (Commercial Division), Accra has thrown out the application filed by Blue Gold Bogoso Prestea Limited (1st Applicant) and FGR Bogoso Prestea Limited (2nd Applicant) for judicial review of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources’ termination of their mining rights and its subsequent transfer to Heath Goldfields Ltd.

This decision consequently affirms Heath Goldfields as the holder of the leases regarding the Bogoso Prestea Mines.

Blue Gold Bogoso and Prestea Ltd, and FGR Bogoso Prestea Ltd. filed an application inviting the High Court to quash the Minister’s (3rd Respondent) decision approving the transfer of the Bogoso Prestea Mines and also for an injunction restraining the respondents and Heath Goldfields Ltd. from taking control or possession of the mines until the dispute is resolved.

The application also sought an order barring the Minister from presenting any mining lease agreements to Parliament for ratification, among other reliefs.

Counsel for the respondents forcefully opposed the application as being incompetent and not properly invoking the jurisdiction of the court since the Minister did not commit any illegality in terminating the applicants’ rights and in transferring the same to Heath Goldfields Ltd.

Her Ladyship Justice Yaa Onyameye Gyakobo upon hearing all legal arguments, dismissed the application as incompetent for failing to properly invoke the judicial review jurisdiction of the Court.

Reports show that this is the third defeat for Blue Gold and FGR after earlier complaints for investigations by FGR to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and National Security to reverse the transfer of the mineral right to Heath Goldfields Ltd. were discontinued and dismissed as unmeritorious.