A release from the Ministry of Mines has intimated the general public that Government has not had any discussion with either Cape Lambert or Frank Timis over the taking over of the Tonkolili Iron Ore or the Marampa Iron Ore Limited in Lunsar, all in Northern Sierra Leone.
The Mines Ministry release indicated that the Ministry of Mines and the National Mineral Agency consistent with the provisions of the Mines and Minerals Act of 2009, had cancelled the large scale Mining Licenses of Marampa Iron Ore Limited (ML 05/2014) and SL Mining (ML 01/2017), effective 11th September, 2018 and October 2019 respectively.
The Mines and Mineral Resources release further disclosed that ‘’the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Mineral Agency further wish to state that Government has not had any discussions with any individual, mining company, or corporate entity on the two mining concessions ( Marampa and Tonkolili Iron Ore) ,any corporate entity /mining company claiming to have had discussions with Government is misleading the public.
In particular, government has not had any discussions with Cape Lambert nor Frank Timis.
The release however assured the public of the ministry’s commitment to ensure that all Sierra Leoneans derive maximum benefit from their mineral wealth and that the public shall be updated on any further development.
The release from government through the Ministry of Mines is coming at a time when Lawyers for Romanian-born Frank Timis, owner of African Minerals wrote to the Government of Sierra Leone complaining about the illegal way in which his Timis Group mining the Marampa Iron Ore concession was terminated by the previous APC government.
The lawyers had insinuated in the letter that government was willing to discuss with Frank Timis based on President Bio’s open door policy to investors.
Government in the last few months cancelled mining licenses and lease agreements with two of the major companies in the north of the country and many had rumored that this was to make way for Frank Timis who had personally funded the exploration of the Tonkolili Iron Ore Project and signed a 99-year Lease Agreement with the Ernest Bai Koroma government.