Koforidua Circuit Court “B” has remanded into Police custody thirty-One (31) alleged National Security Operatives arrested at Akyem Akanteng over illegal mining.
The plea of the accused persons was however not taken. They are expected to reappear before the court presided by Her Honour Mercy Addei Kotei on May 24, 2021.
The accused persons have been charged provisionally with possession of firearms without lawful excuse.
The accused persons are George Asante, Kwaku Frimpong, Alfred Kyei, Yaw Opoku, Richard Nartey, Paul Osei Kuffour, Dominic Beblie, Samuel Kofi Edusei, Silas Boakye Gyan, Joseph Oduro Asare, Mukaila Attah, Stephen Opoku, Michael Quansah, Derrick Adu Kwakye, Razark Suleman, Stephen Kofi Felan, Dominic Ghansah, Robert Nartey Tetteh, Eric Addei, Yakubu Mohammed@ Jordan 1 and Benlord Abebio@ Commander.
The rest are Adam Dakurugu, Kwame Isaac, Joe Acquah, Emmanuel Arhin, Samuel Asiedu Gyamfra, David Akakpo, Ebenezer Boateng, Joseph Kwaku Gyamfi, Fuseini Alhassan, Alhassan Asibi and Gabriel Dormate.
The preliminary investigation conducted indicates that the accused persons are not national security Operatives but were contracted by a staff of the National Security Ministry to engage in illegal mining.
They are alleged to have stormed many mining Communities in parts of the country under the guise of being national security Operatives to seize gold from illegal miners and also taken part in illegal mining.
Background
The youth of Akyem Akanteng on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, invaded the Atewa Forest reserve to arrest about seventeen (17) illegal miners including 14 National Security Operatives who claimed to be working at the Jubilee House.
The alleged National Security Operatives sneaked into the forest at dawn to illegally mine gold.
The youth of Akyem Akanteng massed up and invaded the forest, disarmed the Operatives, beat them before handing them over to the forestry commission and Police who later came to the community.
The five vehicles used by the operatives were also vandalized with some of the tires deflated. The damaged vehicles included a Tundra with registration number NR 9706-20, Toyota Hilux with registration number GT 9683-14, and Nissan Patrol GR with registration number GW 1966-12.
The suspects were moved from Eastern Regional Police Headquarters to Accra by armed Military.
