Kwasi Bonzoh interacting with the media
THE ELLEMBELLE District Chief Executive in the Western Region, Kwasi Bonzoh, has called for an independent investigation to unravel the circumstances under which two illegal mining excavators in the area got missing.
He said the truth must be established for justice to take its course.
He made the call in an interview with journalists on Sunday.
Kwasi Bonzoh had earlier expressed his frustration about the seeming lack of commitment on the part of the police in the area in the fight against illegal mining, also called ‘galamsey’.
The DCE could not fathom why two brand new excavators retrieved from a galamsey site in the area and left in the custody of the police could go missing.
The DCE claimed that the two excavators were being used for illegal mining activities at a site near Nkroful Senior High School, which were seized and later left in the care of the police, but are nowhere to be found.
However, a statement issued by the Western Regional Police Command denied the assertion of the DCE, and indicated that the police did not take custody of any excavators as alleged by the DCE.
“We wish to categorically state that no excavators were handed over to the police by the DCE or any other person from the assembly.
“We, therefore, urge the public to disregard the publication and treat it with the contempt it deserves,” the statement indicated.
The police also indicated that they are investigating the DCE and his special assistant in connection with the alleged missing excavators.
The DCE, however, maintained that rather an independent body should be constituted to investigate the case.
“I am therefore calling on the Interior Minister to intervene and create an independent body to investigate the matter rather than the police,” he added.
Meanwhile, the DCE told journalists that he was arrested last Friday by the police in the area as part of investigations into the missing excavators saga in the district.
The DCE said he was arrested for false publication.
He noted that later on the same day, he was granted self-recognizance bail.
According to the DCE, prior to his arrest, a member of the District’s Small Scale Mining Committee and an officer of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) were also arrested and later granted bail.
FROM Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi