Operation Vanguard (OV) is not responsible for the killing of four small scale miners at a galamsey site in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern region, the Atiwa Youth Association (AYA) has said.

On Sunday August 13, four galamseyers were found dead near a mining site. Members of OV, a taskforce set by the government to deal with the illicit small scale mining in the country have been accused of killing the four but the taskforce has denied involvement in the killings.

The AYA, in a statement released on Monday, 14 August, 2017 said publications suggesting that OV had a hand in the murder of the miners are misleading and should be discarded.

The statement read: “The attention of the Atiwa Youth Association has been drawn to publications circulating in the media (electronic and social media) concerning the death of four (4) galamseyers at Akukuso – a suburb of Kwabeng. Atiwa Youth Association is calling on the police to undertake a thorough investigation to fish out what killed them and who is behind their death. Publications circulating in the media have been given a twist of the issue by attributing their death to the Vanguard (anti-galamsey taskforce).

“This allegation by the media is whimsical and was orchestrated by the opposition to government in order to win a political point.

“The anti-galamsey taskforce operated in the Atiwa district about a week ago so, the perpetrators thought of doing that to Ghanaians and attribute it to the Vanguards. Fortunately, the taskforce has not operated in the district since three days. The Atiwa Divisional Police Command has cleared the vanguard of knowing nothing about it.

“We are entreating the general public to ignore the claim that the death was caused by the anti-galamsey taskforce. When the mortal remains of the alleged galamseyers were found, there was no sign of gunshot (wounds) on their bodies.

“Simple logic will tell us that, under no circumstances will an armed military officer lay down his ammunition to fight someone he deems a treat by hands. The quest by the government to halt galamsey must be deemed a national task. We need to protect the environment for generations to come just as our forefathers did for us.

“Atiwa Youth Association is calling on the Police Service to do all it can to unearth the hidden truth of the incident. We share our condolences to the bereaved family.”