The anti-illegal mining task-force, has rejected claims its men had a hand in the death of some four persons whose remains were retrieved an abandoned mining pit at Kwabeng in the Atiwa District of the Eastern Region.
Reports suggest that the four who were transporting an excavator to a mining site fled and abandoned their equipment upon seeing a team from Operation Vanguard.
But speaking to Citi News Commanding Officer of Operation Vanguard, Colonel William Agyapong said “I don’t know where the story is coming from.”
“Only last week there was another story that Operation Vanguard had killed somebody at Juaboso district. If its propaganda it will fail because the good people of Ghana will see through it. I have crosschecked with the patrol team that went to Akukuso yesterday and they had no activity in the town, it is falsehood, it has nothing to do with our operation,” he insisted.
Police report
The Kwabend district police in its preliminary report said their attention was drawn to the death of the four on Sunday morning by one Isaac Annor.
“One yaw with three others was in charge of a low loader vehicle which was carting an excavator machine to extra gold mining concession at Akukuso near Kwabeng. That on reaching a section of the road…they were reported to have encountered personnel of the operation vanguard taskforce, so the operator and other occupants all abandoned the vehicle with the engine running but found no one onboard and still could not be traced. Police proceeded to the scene of the incident, combed the area and found an abandoned mining pit filled with water. Divers dived into it and retrieved four bodies…all wearing T-shirts and pair of trousers. Police found blood and foam oozing from their mouth and nostrils.”
We’re investigating incident
The statement said the bodies have been convened to the Police hospital for preservation and autopsy while investigations continue into the matter.
Operation Vanguard setbacks
The taskforce has come under intense backlash for burning the tractors, instead of putting them to some purposeful use.
The operation recorded a near setback about two weeks ago after the military personnel shot an illegal miner at Obuasi Anyimadukrom in the Ashanti Region.
Residents of Obuasi Anyimadukrom in the Ashanti Region have blocked roads leading to the town to express their anger after the anti-galamsey task force killed a resident there.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin