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Chinese Nationals Grabbed Over Galamsey At Prestea Huni Valley

General News Chinese Nationals Grabbed Over Galamsey At Prestea Huni Valley
NOV 24, 2019 LISTEN

Some four Chinese nationals have been arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal small scale mining popularly known as 'Gamalsey.'

They were arrested last Friday by the Western Forward Operation Base (FOB) of the National Anti-Galamsey Task Force at Asumpa, in the Prestea Huni Valley District.

The four are; Qin Shiyong – 40 years, Wei Qing – 40, Wei Jian Ping – 48 and Qin Haoyang 30.

They are currently being detained at the Aboso Police Station, waiting to be transferred to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), in Accra for further investigation.

The operation was said to have been conducted under the command of the Officer Commanding FOB West – Major W. Opoku.

Prosecute foreign nationals who engage in 'galamsey' – Ken Ashigbey

The convener for the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Ken Ashigbey had earlier called on the government to prosecute foreign nationals nabbed for engaging in galamsey instead of deporting them.

His demand comes on the back of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s declaration that the deportation of 'galamsey' queen, Aisha Huang was a mistake.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in responding to a question from a Ghanaian resident in the US at Princeton University forum in September, said the government's decision to deport Chinese national, Aisha Huang who was facing prosecution for illegal mining operations was a mistake.

Speaking to Citi News, Ken Ashigbey, argued that the prosecution of the foreign nationals will send a clear message of the government's commitment to the fight against galamsey.

“The president has said that he acknowledges the fact that deporting Aisha Huang was not the best thing. So, we will now take steps to ensure that any foreigner who is arrested is prosecuted because till we deal with that, we cannot make headway in the fight against the menace,” he said.

---citinewsroom

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