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Following the revocation of Exton Cubic Group mining leases, it is expected that the company’s equipment which are impounded would be released but the situation is not so as they are still in the custody of the Atwima Mponua District Assembly.

According to the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atwima Mponua, Hon. William Darko, the equipment are still in their custody even though the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu has revoked Exton Cubic Group mining leases last Monday.

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu has affirmed invalid and of no effect, a mining lease granted Exton Cubic Group Limited at Nyinahin in the Ashanti Region.

Earlier, he approved of the exploration and urged his colleague, the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah, who had ordered for the seizure of Exton Cubic’s equipment to release them to the company.

After consulting with the Attorney General, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister on Monday September 4, made a shocking volte-face - and in a media briefing described the mining contract issued to Exton Cubic Group as invalid.

“The failure to obtain environmental and operational permits, as well as the various statutory infractions, leading to the purported grant of the three mining leases to the company renders the purported leases invalid and of no effect.

“In the circumstance and in accordance with Section 87 of Act 703, the three mining leases are hereby revoked,” Mr Amewu said at a press conference in Accra.

Meanwhile the DCE for Atwima Mponua who confiscated the equipment on the orders of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah has stated on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show that he has not been ordered to release those equipment belonging to Ibrahim Maham's Engineers and Planners (E&P) which was hired by Exton Cubic Group Limited.

“The machines are still with us and we have not given them to Exton Cubic Group yet. The machines are still parked at our place because when the issue broke out at first, we didn’t know the truth involved; we were investigating the matter because the District Assembly and the Ashanti Regional Minister were not previewed to any information regarding the operation of Exton Cubic Group at Nyinahin,” he stated.

He emphasized that “we were demanding for the documents permitting the company to do prospecting on the land and now that it has come out that the company could not meet the requirement to mine on the land we are waiting for another directive from our leaders to take the next step on the machines.”