Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability [ASEPA] has warned the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources who is also the head of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh to desist from extorting money from small scale miners.
In a press release issued on 13th April 2020, ASEPA alleged the minister is busily engaging in the extortion of Small scale miners in the Western Region amidst this Coronavirus pandemic.
“Earlier last week, the Minister together with a team of Military Officers and one Charles purported to be the aide to the Minister visited several Galamsey sites in the Tarkwa, Wassa Akropong and the Asankraguaa enclave demanding bribes ranging from GHC10,000-20,000 from the Galamsey operators before allowing them to continue their illegal activities” the statement stated.
“Further investigations conducted on the matter revealed that the Minister who is currently supposed to be leading the campaign against illegal mining (Galamsey) has rather turned the Campaign into an extortion spree.”
“The Minister Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh then stormed the Police Headquarters and had verbal exchanges with the Police Command for arresting his boys, and demanded their immediate release which they did.”
ASEPA is, however, calling on the President for the dissolution of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining because it has outlived its usefulness and has now become a tool for extortion and other illegal activities in the mining areas.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kwabena Nyarko Abronoma
