My Hands  Are Clean On Missing  Excavators! -Ellembelle DCE Set Records Straight

The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ellembelle in the Western Region, Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh, has denied allegations leveled against him to the effect that he led some thugs to attack police officers and obstructed their operations when they were escorting one of the excavators reported missing from Ellembelle to Takoradi.

According to the DCE, his was concerned about the two missing excavators from the Teleku Bokazo, illegal mine site, is meant to ensure the security of the heavy duty machines.

The DCE said that the police claimed there were no excavators in their custody, and that, he and Francis Apeni, a member of the District Small Scale Mining Committee, were responsible for the safety of the machines.

Mr Bonzoh recalled that at about 2pm on August 31, he informed the police “to watch over the two excavators, but, later, the machines got missing”, stating that, the police in their statement, last Saturday, denied that saying it’s in our custody.”

He said that, since he was a subject of investigations as Chairman of the District Security Committee (DISEC), and Chairman of, Small Scale Mining Committee, “I should be concerned about any excavator leaving my jurisdiction.”

The DCE said he never obstructed police processes, adding “We didn’t have evidence on the missing excavators, and, this time, we have evidence and so I needed to take pictures of an excavator leaving my district. I did not obstruct the police in anyway.”

Mr Bonzoh  applauded the Inspector General of Police, the Regional Police Commander and the operational team, for retrieving one of the missing excavators and also for the arrest of some Chinese suspects in connection with the case.

He urged them to retrieve the other excavator to ensure justice and fairness in the matter which had generated much public interest.

Mr Bonzoh  said: “I will fight with my last blood. I have to ensure that the excavators and issue of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in the district is stopped.”

He expressed worry that galamsey was destroying land, water bodies, adding “Yes, I know I have stepped on toes but, I believe the police would go ahead and bring the perpetrators of this crime to book.”

The DCE was arrested on September 7, 2022.
for allegedly attacking police personnel who retrieved one of the excavators reported missing from Ellembelle.

The team of police officers were escorting the excavator to Takoradi; however, at the Axim Junction, the DCE of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh, reportedly led some thugs to attack the police and obstruct the operation.

This led to his arrest along with three others, and that the DCE has however been granted bail.

But in a quick rebuttal, the DCE flatly rebuked these allegations leveled against him, saying that he would be the last person to hire the thugs to attack police officers of doing their works since he respects the rules of the law.

According to him, his only offence was that he tried capturing in a video, the found ‘missing excavators’ as evidence while it was being taken away by the police but the police wanted to implicate him. 

“They only wanted to lie to people that I was lawless which is not true. I was arrested by the police for videoing the found ‘missing excavator,” Mr. Bonzoh stated.

Mr. Bonzoh indicated that all he wants to do is to fight against galamsey by ensuring that those engaged in such acts are arrested.

“I have been very sad throughout last week due to my case leading me to court. I am not here to blame anyone. I have been arrested twice on the issue of the missing excavators. All I wanted to do was to fish out those involved in the act,”  Mr. Bonzoh  explained.

The DCE described his arrest and detention by the police as unfortunate, saying that having been the chairman of Ellembelle DISEC, he has been working closely with the police officers in the fight against illegal small scale mining activities in the various mining prone areas within his district.

He said if he was aware that the excavator was the one which was reported missing the police officers is escorting to Takoradi he would not have gone there to take the video which has landed him into the grip of the law.

According to him, since he has no information to the effect that one of the reported missing excavators was found by the police officers that was why he acted that way.

"My heart has shaken when l heard the news that one of the missing excavators is being taking away from his jurisdiction, thinking otherwise that it might be the owners of the excavator who had came to move the machine from the area that is why l move to the scene to get evidence," he reiterated.

He pointed out that when the excavators were reported missing in Ellembelle, the issue has made the police to issue a press statement and he was asked to help or partner the police to conduct investigations into the matter to unravel the true.

The DCE stressed that those who are with him were the workers of the Assembly, explaining that they are not thugs, adding that they had never attacked police officers too as was reported.

"This is what l want the general public as well as the whole world to understand that the allegation levelled against me that l have moved with thugs to attack the police officers when taking the video of the excavator was not true," the DCE reaffirmed.

He maintained that having been the government representative of the Ellembelle, he would be the last person to hire the services of thugs to stop the police from performing their constitutional duties entrusted into their hands 

The DCE stressed that "No l cannot do so."

He said those who owned the excavators and have been using them to mine in the premises of school in the area before their deeds had entangled him,  the police should go after them.

He noted that illegal small scale mining activities are completely unlawful and that those who were deep involved in the activities had always have encountered with the police officers in the area.

He said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who appointed him to be the MCE in the Ellembelle was against illegal small scale mining activities.

He pointed out that the President even said he would put his presidency on the line with a commitment to end the illegal small scale mining popularly called galamsey in Ghana.

He noted that the statement made by President Akufo-Addo is a clear indications that the fight against illegal small scale mining activities was dear to his heart.

The MCE noted that "if the whole President who appointed him was able to declare war against irresponsible mining activities, then it is the time for him to wake up to help the President success in the fight against the manace in the area.

He recounted series of measures he took to work closely with the stakesholders including the chiefs, Queen-mother, police and other traditional office holders to fight illegal small scale mining activities in the past four years.

He pointed out that the illegal small scale mining activities have become a lucrative business for some individual personalities and organisations and that preventing them not to engage in these illegal activities have been the challenges for the Assembly and government.

He thanked the people of Ghana for their love confidence and trust they have in him during and after he was arrest in the connection of the missing excavators.

He pointed out that those who knows him very well could not even believed the charges preferred against him, saying that he has learned big season from the issue.

He called on the residents in the district to join hands together to work assiduously in order to fight illegal gold mining in his areas, saying that the activities of the miners were poisoning waterways and destroying countryside.