The ongoing crackdown on illegal mining activities by the 200-man Operation Halt military team saw the burning of at least 20 excavators at Larbikrom, Dompem and Pamen, all in the Atiwa District on Sunday.
Reports indicate that 8 out of the number of excavators burnt on Sunday belonged to the National Women Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Madam Kate Gyamfua.
The raid on the mining site is said to have delayed for hours after the military team was inundated by several calls from various quarters to cause a halt to the operation.
The machinery, including some bulldozers reportedly hired to reclaim degraded land on the site, were eventually set ablaze by the military team.
In a report by Adomonline sighted by GhanaWeb, some individuals who claim to be workers on the site said the military officers beat up some of the workers and left the site with some alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages kept in a fridge.
The exercise is said to have been repeated at Akyem Larbikrom and Dompem where four excavators including two brand new ones, each valued at $120,000 were also set ablaze.
Other equipments burnt at the various sites include dozens of water pumping machines. The military team is also said to have seized some pump-action guns which were being used to protect the mining sites.
One Nana Asante who is reported to be the secretary to the NPP National Women Organizer has expressed disappointment about the development while arguing that they had adhered to all the mining laws including reclamation of degraded lands.
According to Nana Asante, the military team could have considered the contributions of Madam Gyamfua to the NPP and retreated on its actions.
Meanwhile, a Member of the Small-Scale Miners Association in the Eastern Region, Alhaji Hussein Suronim has stated that the affected mining sites are not illegal but licensed small-scale mining sites that adhered to all the mining regulations and have thus condemned the military’s action.
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