The National Director of Mines is in the crosshairs of the justice system. Ousmane Kaba is accused by the Minister of Justice and Human Rights of environmental destruction, complicity in illegal quarrying and corruption. In a note sent to the Attorney General at the Conakry Court of Appeal, Alphonse Charles Wright calls for legal proceedings against this senior official of the Ministry of Mines and Geology.

According to the note from the Minister of Justice, Ousmane Kaba, as National Director of Mines, authorized the exploitation of quarries in the areas of Dubréka and Forécariah without the approval of his minister. This constitutes a "violation of the Guinean mining code".

"It has been brought to the attention of the Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice and Human Rights, the clandestine and uncontrolled exploitation of quarries in the areas of Dubréka and Forécariah and other areas in spite of the decision (…) concerning prior approval of temporary quarrying provided for in Article 69 of the Mining Code of the Republic of Guinea. These operations have been authorized under the responsibility of the National Director of Mines without neither informing the minister nor seeking his approval" states the note from the Minister of Justice.

Closure of quarries

Prior to this court case against Ousmane Kaba, the Ministry of Mines had ordered the closure of all quarries in the Dubréka and Forécariah areas. This closure of quarries is causing a shortage of sand and gravel in Conakry and surrounding cities, an area where the real estate sector is booming.

A few days ago, the former prefect of Siguiri, a gold mining town located more than 700 km northeast of Conakry, was sentenced by a court in a similar case. Colonel Fodé Soumah was charged with complicity in environmental destruction and corruption for authorizing the activities of mining companies when he had no right to do so. He was given a six-month suspended sentence and fined fifty million Guinean francs.