The Alliance for Accountable Governance AFAG is calling on the government to launch a full scale investigation into the attack and robbery by some officials of the Ghana immigration service (GIS), the Ghana Police Service and operatives of the National Security at some mining sites in the Ashanti Region, which led to the vandalization of the mine sites and the arrest of some Chinese working on those sites.

Though we support any action to get rid of unauthorized persons engaging in ventures that has the potential of destroying our lands, we are appalled at the operation and we believe it’s an attempt to ‘kill’ genuine indigenous businesses. We also consider the attack on the mining site of Hansol Company politically motivated without basis. This is simply due to the persistent attacks on the mining site of Hansol Ghana ltd since 2008 and particularly under this current NDC government, more so as the owner is seen as an NPP person.

However much their activities may not be pleasant to authorities, the reverse is true that, they have always been able to renew their operational permits annually by these same state agencies.

We wish to ask the following mind boggling questions;

• Who at the Ghana National Security authorized the attack on a duly registered Ghanaian company, who has hired the services of Chinese men with working permit from the Ghana Immigration service?

• Who authorized the destruction of the excavators and the seizure of 10 pick-up vehicles belonging to Hansol Mining?

• Where are the 9 Kilograms of Gold worth 500,000 dollars and additional 200,000 dollars in cash, belonging to Hansol Mining?

• What necessitated the raid?

We are at a loss why a Ghanaian company that contributes almost 50% of export transactions by the Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited (PMMC) and pays required percentage to enable the regulatory body to run their day to day activities thus helping the Ghanaian economy, will be made to suffer this day.

AFAG per this release is therefore calling for a probe into the national security operations that resulted in a shameful thievery by men who are expected to be honest and responsible enough to protect the citizenry. The security agencies must be alarmed with this attitude and as a matter of urgency set up the probe into that inimical operation.

Be it as it may, we are further calling on the stream lining of scale mining in Ghana.

Signed:

Davis Opoku Ansah

Arnold Boateng

Nana Ayew Afriye (Dr.)