Betterland Ghana Limited has rejected allegations of illegal mining in the Draw River Forest Reserve, accusing Ghana Television (GTV) and journalist Umaru Sanda Salifu of using footage from the Atiwa Forest to falsely depict destruction in Gwira Banso.

It says the report was “false, misleading and defamatory” and has demanded a full public retraction and apology within three days, threatening legal action if GTV and the journalist fail to comply.

Read more below:

PRESS RELEASE

9 August 2026

REJOINDER: FALSE AND DEFAMATORY REPORT BY GTV AND UMARU SANDA SALIFU

Betterland Ghana Limited has observed with grave concern the broadcast aired on Ghana Television (GTV) and presented by Umaru Sanda Salifu, alleging illegal mining activities in the Draw River Forest Reserve.

The said report is false, misleading, defamatory, and calculated to injure the reputation of Betterland Ghana Limited.

We hereby issue this rejoinder to set the record straight and demand accountability.

1. FALSE REPRESENTATION OF FOOTAGE

A. The audiovisual material aired by GTV is not from the Draw River Forest Reserve.

B. Most of the footage originates from Atiwa Forest, yet was deliberately misrepresented as destruction in Gwira Banso.

C. This reckless misrepresentation constitutes a gross violation of journalistic ethics, a breach of professional responsibility, and a malicious attempt to mislead the public.

D. By broadcasting unrelated footage as evidence of destruction in Draw River Forest, GTV and Umaru Sanda Salifu have engaged in deliberate misinformation that undermines the credibility of state broadcasting and unfairly maligns Betterland Ghana Limited.

E. Journalistic ethics require that the journalist or media house seek and present the response of the party accused. In this case, Betterland Ghana Limited was never contacted, consulted, or given the opportunity to clarify the facts before the broadcast. This omission is a serious professional failure and evidence of bias.

2. NATURE OF OUR OPERATIONS

A. Betterland Ghana Limited is engaged solely in expanded exploration works, not illegal mining.

B. Our activities are conducted under a valid Mining Licence issued by the Minerals Commission after fulfilling all statutory requirements.

C. Exploration and preparatory works are lawful, regulated activities, distinct from illegal mining (galamsey). Any suggestion otherwise is false, defamatory, and unacceptable.

D. To equate lawful expanded exploration with illegal mining is not only misleading but also defamatory, as it imputes criminal conduct to a legitimate corporate entity.

E. Such reckless reporting has the potential to damage investor confidence, undermine community relations, and erode trust in Ghana’s regulatory institutions.

3. REGULATORY OVERSIGHT AND COMPLIANCE

A. Our operations are supervised daily by officials of the Forestry Commission, ensuring strict adherence to environmental and forestry laws.

B. We are not operating near any river bodies or cocoa farms, contrary to the false claims made in the broadcast.

C. The access route we use was constructed by timber firms long before Betterland commenced exploration.

D. Every activity undertaken is within the strict confines of Ghana’s environmental, forestry, and mining regulations.

E. Betterland Ghana Limited has consistently demonstrated transparency, compliance, and respect for regulatory oversight, and we remain committed to lawful and responsible operations.

4. DEMAND FOR RETRACTION AND APOLOGY

A. We hereby demand that GTV and Umaru Sanda Salifu issue a full, unqualified public retraction and apology for the false broadcast.

B. This retraction and apology must be aired on the same platform, with the same prominence, and within the same news segment slot as the defamatory broadcast.

C. This must be done within three (3) days of the issuance of this rejoinder.

D. Failure to comply will leave Betterland Ghana Limited with no option but to initiate legal proceedings in court, including claims for damages, injunctions, and other remedies available under Ghanaian law, without further notice.

E. In addition, we will formally petition the National Media Commission (NMC) to investigate this breach of journalistic ethics and impose appropriate sanctions on both the reporter and the media house.

F. Let it be clear: Betterland Ghana Limited will not tolerate falsehoods, misrepresentations, or defamatory attacks on its integrity.

5. COMMITMENT TO INTEGRITY

Betterland Ghana Limited reiterates that it is not engaged in illegal mining.

Our activities are lawful exploration works, conducted under strict regulatory oversight.

The use of unrelated audiovisual material to depict our operations is misleading, defamatory, and unacceptable.

We call on GTV and Umaru Sanda Salifu to uphold the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, and responsibility in their reporting.

The public deserves truth, not sensationalism.

Signed
Management
Betterland Ghana Limited