- “Not Political”: Minerals Commission Doubles Down on Adamus Lease Revocation
Ghana’s Minerals Commission has defended the government’s revocation of mining leases held by Adamus Resources Limited, insisting the move was grounded in law, due process and investigative evidence and signalling a tougher enforcement posture for the wider extractive sector.
At a press briefing in Accra on Monday, the Commission’s Chief Executive, Isaac Tandoh, said the decision was taken “in the national interest” after investigations uncovered what the regulator described as “systemic and flagrant violations” of Ghana’s mining laws.
He rejected suggestions of political motivation and described the revocation as a “lawful evidence-based action” to protect “Ghana’s natural resources, environment, and public interest”.
The Commission also warned that the administrative action could be followed by criminal accountability where the facts support it. Mr Tandoh said the regulator would work with the Attorney General to prosecute “perpetrators” where necessary. The defence follows a statement from the Lands and Natural Resources ministry issued on April 26, announcing the revocation of Adamus’s mining leases covering Akango, Salman and Nkroful.
The ministry said the decision was based on Minerals Commission investigations supported by documentary and photographic evidence and anchored in breaches of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and related regulations.
According to the ministry’s account, the investigation findings included alleged unlawful subcontracting without mandatory ministerial consent under section 14 of Act 703; mining without approved operating plans or valid operating permits contrary to Regulation 8(1) of the Minerals and Mining (Health, Safety and Technical) Regulations, 2012 (LI 2182); failure to obtain required approvals, including from the Environmental Protection Agency, in breach of section 18 of Act 703; and alleged involvement of foreign nationals in illegal mining activities in contravention of provisions in the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
The ministry added that operations were allegedly conducted outside designated mining areas and that the activity caused significant environmental degradation and risks to water bodies, public health and livelihoods. It stressed that the lease revocation does not preclude criminal charges against the company or its leadership and pledged measures to protect jobs and livelihoods affected by the decision.
For the regulator, the core due process argument is that the sanction is a lawful enforcement tool, not a discretionary political act, and that it flows from evidence gathered during inspections and investigations. The Commission framed the step as part of a broader tightening of oversight aimed at deterring “galamsey”, protecting ecological assets and restoring credibility to licensing and operational control in the sector.
The decision sets a clear signal for Ghana’s mining industry: holding a mineral right is no longer treated as a passive licence to outsource operational control. The regulator’s emphasis on subcontracting approvals, operating permits, and third-party participation suggests a shift toward enforcing the “control” obligations that often sit behind licences, especially where illegal mining is alleged to have been facilitated under the cover of a corporate concession.
If followed through with prosecutions, the episode could also mark a tougher precedent: that regulatory breaches can escalate from administrative sanctions to criminal exposure and that environmental harm and governance failures will carry real licence risk for operators and their partners.
