Lawyer and politician, Kwame Jantuah has called for a forensic review of the process leading to the allocation of the Damang gold mine, amid growing political debate over alleged conflicts of interest and transparency in the deal.

Kwame Jantuah, speaking on Asaase Radio’s The Forum, said concerns over family and political links in state transactions are not new in Ghanaian politics and should be addressed through proper legal scrutiny rather than public speculation.

He questioned whether similar concerns would arise if different individuals were involved in the process, arguing that allegations of influence often depend on who is connected to a deal.

“If it were any other person, would there be a challenge?” he asked.

Jantuah said Ghana’s political history has often featured family or political affiliations in the management of state assets, citing past administrations as examples, while stressing the need to focus on process integrity.

He pointed to previous concerns involving former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, arguing that questions of conflict of interest have long been part of public debate.

“We should deal with conflict of interest that may arise,” he said, adding that concerns should be tested through evidence rather than assumption.

On the Damang mine, Jantuah questioned whether businessman Ibrahim Mahama was being unfairly judged based on political associations, asking whether his company had the technical capacity to manage the asset.

Jantuah urged authorities to subject the entire process to forensic examination to determine whether due procedures were followed and whether any irregularities occurred.

“Is Ibrahim Mahama capable, can he do it?” he asked, while noting that the Damang mine is among the more technically challenging deposits.

“If we feel there is something wrong with the process, let’s do some forensics on it,” he said.

The Damang mine allocation has become a focal point of political debate in Ghana, with opposition figures alleging conflict of interest and government supporters defending the process as lawful and transparent.

For mining consultant Ing. Wisdom Gomashie the time allowed for bidding on major mineral assets falls far below international best practice, warning that compressed timelines undermine transparency and increase risks of undue influence.

He argued that properly structured timelines allow governments to publish full information on assets and give bidders adequate time to respond, ensuring fairness in selection.

“In every mineral administration of a top deposit like Damang, the essence of a minimum of 30 to 45 days up to 120 days is to allow competitive bidding and reduce corruption. How can you select bids while the government had not opened a tender?” Gomashie asked, describing the situation as raising “serious corruption flags”, he said.

Government extended the Damang lease by one year in April 2025, but officials have indicated the extension is now nearing expiry, with control of the mine expected to revert to the state if no new arrangement is reached.

The consultant also drew a distinction between mining lease holders and service providers, saying E&P does not operate mineral concessions but provides mining support services.

“They just provide mine support services… there are over 50 companies that do the same,” he said.

He further criticised what he described as a seven-day bidding window after government moved to open competitive tendering, arguing that such timelines are inconsistent with international procurement standards for multi-billion-dollar assets.

Meanwhile, the Minority in parliament has announced plans topetition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to investigate businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners, over their involvement in the Damang Mine process and the use of a private jet linked to the President.

Addressing journalists in Parliament on Thursday (26 March), the Ranking Member on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee and MP for Mampong, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, said the caucus is concerned about what it describes as potential constitutional breaches and a lack of transparency in the selection of an investor for the Damang Mine.

“The Minority will not accept the government characterisation of this process as competitive. What we see is a winner being arranged and not selected,” Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said.

“These are not separate stories. They are the same story… taken together, they present the most serious conflict-of-interest question,” the statement noted.