The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, has described the alleged burning of an illegal miner by some security personnel of Adamus Resources Limited as “unGhanaian” which must be thoroughly investigated and dealt with.
Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, who was speaking during his New Year interaction with journalists in Sekondi, said the burning of Michael Derry, which resulted in his death, was illegal just as the illegal mining.
“I know that it is very unGhanaian for a security person to burn someone. It is very unGhanaian. I will also use this opportunity to appeal to people who also want to do galamsey to stop because it doesn’t help anybody.
“This is because it is somebody’s concession, so why do you go there to steal its gold? It’s not proper. But I also believe that it is unGhanaian for a security person to burn a Ghanaian just because he misbehaved. You can’t take the law into your own hands,” he said.
The Western Regional Minister further called for calm, and hoped that the police would investigate the matter.
“It is always better to wait for the Police to finish their investigation properly…We have to get the investigation going because Adamus Resources Limited is telling us a different story, that it was by accident and that nobody actually set fire on the victim, so let’s wait for the investigation,” he added.
Investigations
The Essiama Divisional Police Commander, ACP Dodzie Hlordzi, earlier said on Citi FM that over five to eight security personnel of Adamus Resources who are suspected to be behind the incident, which took place on December 22, 2021, on the concession of Adamus at Anwia-Bokazo, are currently on Police enquiry bail.
Although Michael Derry, alias Budo, subsequently died from his burns at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on December 26, 2021, the Police is yet to put the suspects before court.
