Residents of Upper Denkyira East in the Central Region were spellbound yesterday when they learnt of the arrest of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Peter Kodi Owusu Ashia for his alleged involvement in illegal mining, popularly called ‘galamsey’.
He was arrested by members of an inter-ministerial taskforce set up by President John Mahama to clamp down on activities of illegal miners in the country.
An amount of GH¢17,000 was found on him during a search.
The MCE was said to have been arrested together with officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) for conniving with some illegal miners in the region whose activities have become a major source of worry for, not only the government, but Ghanaians in general.
A source at the Central Regional Police Command failed to confirm or deny the arrest of the officials when contacted.
They were alleged to have extorted monies from some foreign nationals, who were neck deep in the illegal act.
Under the current arrangement, foreigners, who engaged in ‘galamsey’, are immediately handed over to officials of the Immigration Service for prosecution or possible deportation.
Two hundred foreign nationals, mainly Chinese, who were arrested during the operations, were dispatched to the capital city, Accra, on board two Metro Mass Transit buses with an armed guard.
However, in this particular instance, the officials of the Ghana Immigration Service were said to have been caught extorting money from the foreign nationals in their custody.
The GIS officials were allegedly demanding an amount of GH¢8,000 from them.
It was during the interrogation of these Immigration officers that the name of the bigger fish, the MCE, emerged.
This came as a surprise to many, in view of the fact that the MCE was considered the head of the Municipal Security Council and should not have soiled his hands in such illegality.
Upon his arrest, the taskforce conducted a search in the office of Kofi Owusu Ashia, which uncovered an amount of GH¢17,000 said to have been part of the booty he made from the illegal deal.
It has since been kept by the taskforce.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu