Operation vanguard dismisses claims of another killing

Commander of the National Taskforce for Operation Vanguard has dismissed rumours that another illegal miner has been shot dead at Sefwi-Ankra in the Juaboso district of the western region.

News of the latest clash between illegal miners and the anti galamsey task force made rounds on social media Wednesday night. Reports stated that the alleged deceased, Charles Samuels and three others were at a mining site in the forest when three soldiers from the task force allegedly ambushed and opened fire on them.

According to one of the miners who escaped, the soldiers, upon seeing them on the site fired without warning, killing Mr Samuels in the process. The alleged escapee also said the soldiers set mining equipment at the site ablaze and he cannot tell what has become of the body of the deceased.

But Colonel William Agyeman, commander of the National task force has denied the allegations.

He said” since we started operating in the western region, we haven’t gotten any closer to Juaboso District; the nearest we have gone is about 70km further off. The troupes have not encountered such activity, so that story is a blatant falsehood.”

The Operation Vanguard teams have so far arrested over 100 illegal miners in Eastern, Western and Ashanti regions since they began their work some two weeks ago.