EPA arrests Gyetey Gye Nyame Mining PRO over alleged illegal mining at Nkroful

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has arrested the Public Relations Officer of Gyetey Gye Nyame Mining Company at Nkroful in the Western Region over alleged illegal mining activities and environmental pollution.

The suspect, identified as Abekah Gogoe, is accused of operating without an environmental permit and discharging mine wastewater into wetlands near the Ankobra River.

The arrest forms part of the EPA’s intensified nationwide crackdown on illegal mining and environmental violations. In recent weeks, the Authority has stepped up compliance monitoring across mining communities amid growing concerns over the destruction of water bodies, forests and farmlands linked to illegal mining.

The latest operation led EPA officials to Nkroful in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

Speaking to JoyNews, Deputy Director of Mining at the EPA, Harrison Afful, who led the compliance exercise, said the team seized two excavators and other equipment abandoned at the site after workers fled upon noticing the arrival of officials.

“When we arrived, it appeared work was actively ongoing. But the workers absconded immediately they realised EPA officials were approaching. This is typical of illegal mining operations,” he stated.

Mr Afful said preliminary investigations indicated that the company had been operating without the required environmental certification from the EPA.

“We have caused the arrest of Abekah Gogoe. They have been operating without a permit. We are currently working with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat to evacuate the equipment from the site,” he said.

The EPA believes the activities may have contributed to the pollution of nearby wetlands and posed a threat to the Ankobra River, which is already under pressure from illegal mining activities.

Sources close to the investigation say the suspect has since been granted bail, while the EPA is expected to commence legal proceedings in the coming days.

The Authority has warned mining companies, both licensed and unlicensed, to comply strictly with environmental regulations or face sanctions under the law.

Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, has repeatedly emphasised the Authority’s commitment to sanitising the environment through sustained monitoring and enforcement operations nationwide.

According to the EPA, the ongoing crackdown is aimed at ensuring compliance with environmental standards and protecting Ghana’s water bodies and ecosystems from further degradation caused by illegal mining.

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)