Missing Excavators: CID picks Agona West NPP Chair

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service probing into the 500 missing excavators seized in the clampdown of illegal mining have invited the Agona West constituency chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kojo Addo, for questioning.

He was invited by the CID, Tuesday afternoon when he was attending to some issues in the constituency.

Inside sources say the Agona West constituency NPP chairman is the right-hand man of Mr Horace Ekow Ewusi, who was suspended from the position of First Vice-Chair of the Central Region of the elephant family for gross disrespect and perjury.

He is alleged to have had a hand in the missing excavators, hence, the invitation to assist the CID to unravel the circumstances that led to the missing of the earth moving equipment.

He is further to assist the Police to identify all the accomplices in connection to the deal that has put the government and the Operation Vanguard team in a very bad taste.

On Monday, February 3, 2020, the CID picked up Mr Ekow Ewusi, who is one of the leaders of Operation Vanguard, for interrogation over his role in the missing excavators and other equipment seized from illegal miners.

His arrest was triggered by a request from the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, to the Director-General, CID Headquarters, Accra, to commence investigations into the missing excavators and some other equipment.

“Mr. Ekow Ewusi was contracted to cart excavators and other vehicles and pieces of equipment seized by Operation Vanguard to designated areas for safekeeping. We have received information that he sent an unknown number of equipment to unauthorized locations, including one in Tema. This was confirmed by the caretaker of the depot in Tema. Information reaching me indicates that he has sold an unknown number of the pieces of equipment, including excavators. I wish to appeal to the Police Authorities to investigate the matter”, the letter dated February 3, 2020, and requesting the Police to probe into the matter in part read.

Following his arrest, the names of some persons believed to be his friends who have ample knowledge and at a point played a role in moving the excavators from its authorized location, have popped up.

One of such persons is the Agona West Constituency NPP chair who allegedly played a leading role in organizing some people to stage series of demonstrations against executives of the Central Regional NPP for suspending Mr. Ekow Ewusi.