In the wake of the ongoing national outcry about illegal mining and its toll of destruction on the environment, a powerful traditional leader, the Chief of Adansi and president of the Adansi traditional council, has been accused of being involved in illegal mining.
Multiple sources, including a lawyer, an Assembly and a farmer who alleges he was paid off his land by the Adansihene, Opegya Kotwere Bonsrah Afiyie, say he is a kingpin of galamsey within the Adansi traditional area.
Mr. Bernard Nuamah, a farmer is reported as saying in an interview with Accra-based Media General that the president of the Adansi traditional council paid him after destroying his oil palm farm with illegal mining.
According to Mr. Nuamah, Opegya Kotwere Bonsrah Afiyie, had sent him the compensation through the Twafo Hene Nana Okyere Boahantan.
The revelation comes in the wake of similar allegations by the Adansiman Progressive Association (APA), a group crusading for the development of Adansi and an end to galamsey.
According to APA, they collaborated with the Police in an investigation to find out the identities of the people behind illegal mining in the area.
James Addai, President of APA tells journalists that as part of their investigations they contacted the Minerals Commission and found out the identities of the persons who are mining gold in the area.
The information led them to an illegal mining site at Hwremoase where they arrested a Chinese illegal miner and his and Ghanaian collaborator. These told the Police that the site they were working on was for one Lawyer Mary Nsiah Asare.
Lawyer Nsia Asare would however deny ownership of the site and reveal it belonged to the Adansihene, Opegya Kotwere Bonsrah Afiyie.
Meanwhile, the Obuasi Divisional Police Commander, Supt. Joseph Nyaaba, has reportedly told the media that an arrest was made on the March 22, 2021 but the district chief executive for the Adansi Asokwa district, Andrew Adu Boahen called him to release the arrested galamsey suspects.
The DCE is said to have explained that the site was a community mining site genuinely licensed to Lawyer Mary Nsiah Asare and that Lawyer Nsia Asare abides by the rules of the local Assembly.
The revelations are coming in the wake of a warning by the Overlord of Ashanti, Otumfuor Osei Tutu ll that any of his Chiefs who will be found complicit in galamsey will be sanctioned.
APA has called on Otumfuor to step in and do just that to the Adansihene.
