Former employees of the Prestea Gold Resource (PGR) have petitioned the government to assist them in recovering a total of 45 per cent in shares from the Bogoso Gold Limited (BGL), now called Future Global Resources (FGR).
They said the failure of FGR to pay the former employees of PGR had left some of the former employees bedridden, lost their lives, starving and unable to pay their medical bills and cater for their families.
This was contained in a statement signed by the chairman, Mr Richard Quaicoe, and copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra .
They urged the Golden Star Limited to provide evidence to support the claim that they have 45 per cent shares owed the ex-workers of PGR, quizzing “when did they pay the money and to whom did they pay to?”
“The ex-workers of PGR Limited used our severance, which was paid to us by Barnex Prestea Limited at a time that the company decided to shut down the Prestea Underground Mining. The total capital accumulated and amounted to USD$10.5 million to restructure the underground mining operation,” they explained.
They added that due to the failure of the Prestea underground mining, BGL entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Prestea Gold and later started the surface mining project on the Prestea concession.
“PGR Limited in its own operation for two years was unable to pay its workers for five months, and these led to a sit-down strike which created a room for BGL to rush in to settle the five months’ arrears,” he further added.
In view of that, he said BGL was at an advantageous position to acquiring the assets of PGR Limited, then placed the company under care and maintenance for two years which was announced to the workers and asked them to stay at home with nothing until the re-opening of the mines.
However, Golden Star Bogoso/Prestea Company took over from BGL and has since been unable to pay the 45 per cent shares owed the workers.
“Now, we the ex-workers of PGR Limited are asking Golden Star Company, which is now called Future Global Resources (FGR), about our Forty-five (45 per cent) shares after working for a number of years and yet holding Ninety (90) per cent shares at the moment,” he added.
BY TIMES REPORTER
