Betterland Ghana denies illegal mining in Draw River Forest Reserve

Betterland Ghana Limited has issued a formal rejection of allegations claiming the company is conducting illegal mining within the Draw River Forest Reserve in the Nzema East District of Ghana’s Western Region. The company maintains that its activities consist of lawful, expanded exploration works conducted under a valid license issued by the Minerals Commission.

In its rebuttal, Betterland asserted that its operations are subject to daily oversight by the Forestry Commission and comply with national environmental and mining laws. The company specifically challenged the validity of audiovisual evidence used against it, claiming that certain photos and videos were not filmed at the Draw River Forest Reserve or the Gwira Banso community, but were instead taken at the Atiwa Forest and mislabeled to suggest destruction in the Western Region.

Furthermore, the firm denied reports that it is operating near cocoa farms or river bodies. Regarding infrastructure, the company stated that the access road currently in use was established by timber companies long before its exploration activities began.