He said he has never engaged in the practice, popularly known as galamsey.
In a statement by his lawyers in response to a newspaper publication alleging his involvement in the menace, he asked the general public to discount such fabrications.
“My client wants to state emphatically that he has never in his capacity as Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, ever in any way whatsoever, engaged in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey".
"There has not been any circumstance in which my client aided or enabled any entity or any individual to engage in galamsey as a matter of fact,” the lawyer said in a rejoinder.
“Contrary to the allegations, my client had devoted his might, attention and knowledge and resources with the help of the Ministry he superintended to fight galamsey and would, therefore, urge the public to disregard any unfounded and false allegations indicting my client as a major player in the galamsey menace,” it added.
The government has stepped up its fight against galamsey with the deployment of a military task force called Operation Halt II who are destroying excavators and mining equipment at illegal mining sites along river bodies across the country.