Chief arrests galamsey operators

Daboase (W/R), Jan. 27, GNA - Chief of Dabose Nana Kojo Akyeh II and his community on Sunday arrested 10 teenagers and two adults engaged in galamsey operations in the River Pra at Daboase. The suspects have been handed over to the Daboase Police to be sent to the Western Regional Police Command at Sekondi for investigations and prosecution, a source at the Regional Police Command told the GNA. The 12 had mounted rafts at the Daboase Water Head Works and were using heavy-duty equipment to mine in the River. Nana Akyeh said he was not happy about the increased galamsey operations on the River's bed and asked all relevant stakeholders to stop them.

He noted that the activities of the group could lead to high treatment cost of water and other water borne-diseases in the area while several communities that depended on the water as their source of water supply could suffer from pollution, high concentration of mercury and oil spillage.

Mr Philip D. Boateng, Western Regional Chemists of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), said an embankment created to preserve water has been destroyed and this had drastically reduced the water level. He, therefore, appealed to the Regional Coordinating Council to act swiftly to save the Daboase Head Works and Dam. Those arrested include; Jonas Aidoo, 19; Benjamin Siameh, 40, and Goka Sampson, 19; all from Kakabo; and Kofi Afudophe, 19, and Ave Abiwogha, 19; both from Twifo Praso.

The others were Freedom Owusu, 18; and Caesar Jefferson Cudjoe, 21; both from Sekeyre Krobo; Yaw Akorle, 19, from Juapong in the Volta Region; and Maxwell Mawu Kepenao, 18, from Cape Coast. The remaining were minors aged between 16 years and 17 years old. 27 Jan. 09