{"id":323422,"date":"2017-05-29T14:09:09","date_gmt":"2017-05-29T14:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=323422"},"modified":"2017-05-29T14:09:09","modified_gmt":"2017-05-29T14:09:09","slug":"galamsey-soldiers-were-deployed-upon-request-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/05\/galamsey-soldiers-were-deployed-upon-request-minister\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Galamsey soldiers’ were deployed upon request – Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"
Military personnel found protecting an illegal mining site in the Ashanti Region, were deployed there in 2014, upon the request of a\u00a0former Deputy Regional Minister, Joseph Yamin.<\/p>\n
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, revealed this to Citi News<\/strong> after being briefed during a Regional Security Council meeting on the issue.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”tOJegdIUNlLTGz3BeDSHYsiyHWmArCJV”]The soldiers were deployed to the area about three years ago after the Geo Professional Services Company, complained about attacks from illegal miners\u00a0at Tontokrom, in the Amansie West District.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we had a Regional Security Council meeting to be briefed by the 4BN [4 Infantry Battalion] commander. The information that he gave was that, these people were sent there officially and it is not that one team has been there all the time. They change them over a period and he showed communication between Accra and the 4BN,\u201d the minister explained.<\/p>\n \u201cThe briefing also indicated that, there was a point somewhere in 2014 or 2015, where the company, GPS, reported to the military in the region that they had been attacked on two occasions and for that matter, they wanted military protection.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe report went on to indicate that, the Deputy Minister of the region [Joseph Yamin], who was heading a task-force that was operating in galamsey areas, made a request to the high command of the 4BN, who upon that request informed the hierarchy in Accra. It was on that basis these people were sent there.\u201d<\/p>\n