Security analyst, Dr Adam Bonaa, has expressed the need for government and relevant authorities to widen the scope, particularly on investigation into complicit police officers in illegal mining.

According to him the right thing must be done, and the appropriate measures instituted to tackle illegal mining in the country. This, he revealed, cam only be achieved when active players within the sector exact their duties.

Reacting to the ten persons including two policemen who were arrested by the Rapid Response Unit of the Forestry Commission in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region, Dr Bonaa stated that he is not surprised because some of these police officers would rather want to see a “rotting” police service, than a police service that is effectively managing crime and dealing with illegal mining in the country.

“Obviously, there will be involvement of other personalities, the scope of investigations should be widened. We know it is trite knowledge when the former local government minister said DCE’s are involved – they should broaden it, regional ministers ar involved, they should broaden it because our forest cover is getting destroyed, police officers who are supposed to be protecting the environment and the forest cover are the people who are also involved. Now, they are mentioning a senior officer – obviously, every police officer in this country is supposed to be accountable to somebody…”
Dr Adam Bonaa

Furthermore, Dr Bonaa indicated that the move by the police officers is a “shame”. To this end, he stated that aside broadening the scope, the officers should be punished severely, and made to face the law court together with all the people involved.

“I know that the IGP has been swift when it comes to dealing with some of his own… It should just not be limited to police officers – I’m telling you that there’s no way these things can take place without the involvement of the district security council because the district security council which is usually chaired by the district chief executive and the rest, these are persons who we know that some of them are involved.”
Dr Adam Bonaa

Summon of DCEs and Police Commanders over illegal mining

Furthermore, Dr Bonaa emphasized the need for authorities within the communities where the officers were arrested to be summoned for interrogation. He highlighted that they should have been more prudent in the matters of illegal mining.

“I am waiting for one person to come and tell me that the district chief executive in the area does not know that this mining is going on. If he can come and say that he is not aware of the mining going on in that area, then I’ll say he is not fit for the job and he should be fired. For the district police commander, divisional police commander and the regional police commander, I think all of them should be summoned for interrogation.”
Dr Adm Bonaa

Ten persons including two policemen were arrested by the Rapid Response Unit of the Forestry Commission in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region.

They include four Chinese nationals identified as Men Shi Yu, 30, Wen Yong Cheng, 30, Wen Fu Lin, 58 and Lee Pin, 60, their four Ghanaian collaborators, Edward Owusu, 25, Kwesi Frank, 42, Abudu Dramani, 41 and Joe Naburi, 27.

Two police officers, Detective Sergeant, Yahaya Andrews and Lance Corporal Azantillow believed to be protecting them were also arrested at the mining site inside the forest reserve.

During interrogation, Detective Sergeant Yahaya Andrews told the team that Chief Inspector Adusei Negga ordered them to patrol the Kokosua Forest Reserve close to Asempaneye where they are stationed.
The joint operation conducted on Tuesday, December 12 also saw the burning of 10 excavators used by the miners.

The Krokosua Forest Reserve has come under siege recently by illegal miners who have already destroyed large parts of it.

The arrest comes on the back of a recent onslaught by the Forestry Commission to flush out pervasive mining in forest reserves across the country.