Members of the Operation Vanguard (OV) taskforce are not protecting illegal small-scale miners (galamsayers), Squadron Leader Omane Adjei, Communications Director for the joint-military/Police taskforce, has said.

The OV team was put together by the Akufo-Addo-led government as part of efforts to deal with illicit miners in order to protect water bodies and the environment.

Recently the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu alleged that some military officers were offering protection for some foreigners who were mining illegally.

Mr Amewu said: “The law enforcement agency, especially the Military are protecting an illegality and I think that it is time the truth be told. Most of the sites we visited today were heavily manned by the military command and I was wondering under what circumstances [were they undertaking this exercise] because my outfit had under no circumstances signed any contract with the military to protect that illegality.”

But speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM Monday June 11, Squadron Leader Omane Adjei said “We haven’t come across any soldier shielding the galamsayers and so we don’t know where this allegation is coming from.”

He added: “The soldiers we see when we go round are the ones that are manning the large-scale miners.”