DAILY GUIDE has gathered that a staff of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the Forestry Commission (FC), John Baba Konlan, has been shot by unidentified galamsey operators at Cape Three Points in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region.
The forestry staff was said to have been shot in the head and back by the alleged illegal miners.
The victim was part of team of nine staff, who were to ascertain information that some illegal miners were operating in a forest reserve at a portion near the Morrison Community in the area.
According to sources, upon arrival in the reserve, three members of the forestry staff were left in the operation vehicle and the rest walked through the forest for over an hour, to the illegal mining site.
From afar, the team members spotted a dugout pit with illegal miners busily carrying out what is known as “dig and wash”.
According to a member of the team, few minutes after they had taken their different routes to the pit, he heard gunshots and therefore became alert, looking out for signs of danger.
He later heard one of the team members screaming and calling the rest of the members to come to the aid of John Baba Konlan because he had been shot.
According to information gathered, the rest of the team members initially took the victim to the Effia Nkwanta Government Hospital in Sekondi.
He was later referred to the Cape Coast Regional Hospital for further treatment, but was again referred to the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra, where he was treated and discharged.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi