Cocoa purchasing clerk accuses Operation Halt 2 team of embezzling his GH¢35k in their operations

A cocoa purchasing clerk, Justice Ezu, has accused the Operation Halt 2 team mandated to fight the illegal mining activities of ransacking his room and allegedly stealing his GH¢35,100 cash at Wassa Dompoase in the Amenfi East Municipality of the Western region.

The 45-year-old man who said he was into small-scale mining activities but stopped some months ago also accused the task force of assaulting his son and taking away GH¢1,200 from him in addition to the money they allegedly took from his room.

Mr Ezu said the team again took away his water pumping machines, Dorman machine kept in his room, Kia Bongo Truck with registration number AS 5053-21 parked in front of his house and destroyed his excavator parked in the community.

According to him, the soldiers numbering about 30 in three vehicles stormed the community on Sunday, May 9, 2021.

They arrested his 21-year-old son and seized his phone and a cash sum of GH¢1,200.

He was later released after the intervention of the Assembly Member for the area.

Although the mobile phone was returned to him, they refused to give him back the money.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, 18 May 2021, Mr Ezu said the armed military men marched his son to his house and ransacked his room while he was away.

He alleged that the task force took away the cash kept in his room allotted to pay his cocoa farmers.

They also took away the aforementioned machines and destroyed his excavator parked in the community.

Mr Ezu said the information he has gathered suggests that the vehicle has been parked at the Accra Teshie Nungua Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces.

He said he has reported the case to the Wassa Akropong Police Command.

Mr Ezu, therefore, pleaded with President Akufo-Addo to intervene and help him retrieve his money and the vehicle took away by the Operation Halt 2 team.