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The minister, in his report, said Mr Mantey’s bank account with the National Investment Bank (NIB) was used as a conduit in the “unlawful” sale of the excavators.
“In the course of the investigations, Mr Mantey confessed that he was contracted by Mr John Ofori-Atta, then National Security Coordinator for the Central Region, and Mr Ekow Ewusi to use his Bank Account at the National Investment Bank for what effectively was money laundering,” Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said in his letter to the CID.
“The proceeds from the excavator sales were lodged in Seth Mantey’s bank account.”
The money was said to have been later cashed and shared between John Ofori-Atta and Ekow Ewusi, who is under investigations for some missing excavators.
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“I wish to appeal to the police authorities to investigate the matter,” the letter further noted.
It will be recalled that the minister ordered for the arrest of the suspended Central Regional Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Horace Ekow Ewusi and five others over their alleged role in the missing excavators.
The excavators were seized at the height of the clampdown on illegal mining by the Operation Vangaurd and GamlamStop.
The heavy machines were parked at the premises of the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation disclosed recently that most of the excavators that were seized from illegal miners had disappeared.
Ekow Ewusi was contracted by the government to cart excavators and other vehicles and pieces of equipment seized by Operation Vanguard to designated areas for safekeeping.