Prestea Mine Coalition Demands Probe into Heath Goldfields’ Operations

A formal petition has been submitted to the President of the Republic, calling for an independent investigation into the acquisition and management of the Prestea Bogoso Mine by Heath Goldfields Limited over alleged misrepresentation, unmet financial commitments and regulatory shortcomings.

The petition, filed on Monday, January 19, by the Coalition of Concerned Citizens- Bogoso Prestea, was addressed to the Presidency and copied to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). The group is questioning the credibility of the process that led to the award of mining leases to Heath Goldfields in December 2024.

Led by Gabriel Madobi, a former worker at the mine, the petitioners explained that the Prestea Bogoso Mine, one of Ghana’s oldest and most strategic gold assets, was transferred to Heath Goldfields after the leases of the previous operator, FGR Bogoso Prestea Mine, were terminated in September 2024 due to insolvency and failure to meet statutory and employee obligations. Heath Goldfields was recommended by the Minerals Commission based on claims of strong technical capacity and financial backing from Yilmaden Holding, the mining arm of Turkey’s Yıldırım Group.

However, the petition raises doubts about those claims, arguing that Heath Goldfields does not appear on publicly available lists of Yıldırım Group subsidiaries. It further notes that the company was incorporated in Ghana in February 2024 with a stated capital of GHS 10,000, casting doubt on its ability to independently finance large-scale mining operations.

Central to the petition is the allegation that Heath Goldfields failed to honour its pledge to inject up to US$500 million into the mine, including an initial US$50 million intended to clear workers’ salaries, statutory payments and urgent operational costs. The group claims employee entitlements, which were to be paid within seven days of the lease award, were instead paid partially and spread over several months, with some obligations such as severance, SSNIT and Tier 2 pension contributions still outstanding.

The petition also alleges that mining leases were issued on December 13, 2024, despite key conditions not being met, including agreed payments under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union. It further reports that more than 400 workers have been laid off since Heath Goldfields took over, contrary to assurances of job security.

The petitioners are urging state authorities to investigate the company’s ownership structure, financing, regulatory compliance and treatment of workers, and to take appropriate action to protect national and community interests.