Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has rejected claims that the government is applying the law selectively in dealing with illegal mining cases, insisting that investigations into allegations against some National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials are still ongoing.

Responding to questions about probes involving NDC National Organiser Joseph Yamin and Third National Vice Chairman Abanga Yakubu over alleged links to illegal mining (galamsey), Dr Srem-Sai said the processes had not been concluded.

“Investigations are still ongoing,” he said.

Read also: NPP demands update on galamsey probe against Yamin, Abanga

"If the suggestion is that the investigations are long overdue, that must be some comparison you are making. Because you would not say it is long overdue unless you are comparing with some other investigation.

"And so what I'm saying is that if you think or if anyone suggests that the fact that those investigations have not yielded or resulted in a conviction or trial, then it means that we are being unfair; in other words, we are giving some preferential treatment, the point I'm trying to make is that investigations take time," he explained.

According to him, the timeline of the case involving NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, demonstrates that complex investigations cannot be expected to produce immediate outcomes.

Dr Srem-Sai noted that investigations into Wontumi’s case began in 2021, while the trial only commenced in January 2026 before the High Court eventually convicted him.

“Chairman Wontumi’s investigation started way back in 2021. We are in 2026. The trial itself started this year, January 10, when we called the first witness,” he stated.

The Deputy Attorney-General argued that the fact that some investigations conclude earlier than others does not amount to selective justice.

He cautioned against drawing conclusions based on public narratives without considering the facts and timelines involved.

“Sometimes we know narratives are powerful, but all you need to do is to run the narrative against facts, and you will see that the narrative becomes empty,” he said.

The Minority in Parliament and NPP have accused the government of selective justice following Chairman Wontumi’s conviction and questioned why investigations involving some members of the governing NDC have not resulted in prosecutions.

However, Dr Srem-Sai maintained that the state’s approach is based on evidence and due process, rather than political affiliation.