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General News of Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Source: Joy Online

National security operatives accused of gold theft

Hansol, a licensed small-scale mining company, is to petition the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over alleged theft by national security operatives.

The alleged theft occurred during a recent raid which saw the arrest of illegal Chinese miners.

The company claims the security operatives from the immigration and police services stole nine kilos of gold, two pickup trucks and thousands of dollars during a recent purported raid at the company’s gold mining concession in the Ashanti region.

According to Joy News’ Elton John Brobbey, the company’s general manager, Kojo Abraham, is on record as saying the security personnel forcefully took the money from the Chinese nationals during the raid before loading three trucks of their property.

He further claims they burnt two excavators and some foreign currency notes.

Meanwhile, chief executive officer of the company, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, is challenging the arrest of Chinese nationals working for his company.

He claims they are working legally and showed Joy News a letter from the Interior Ministry dated June 17, 2010 and signed by secretary to the Immigration committee, Samuel Amankwa.

The supposed letter grants the mining company approval to engage ten expatriates in small-scale mining for a three-year period.

The company’s planned petition to the IGP is thus premised on what the CEO describes as theft and unlawful arrest and deportation of his expatriates.