Police at Anyinam in the Atiwa East District have arrested a miner identified as Daniel Abeiku Ansah for allegedly grading a disputed parcel of land with an excavator, in defiance of a subsisting court order.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday afternoon after police received information that he had moved an excavator onto the land, which is currently the subject of litigation before the Koforidua High Court.
The court had earlier directed all parties involved in the dispute to stay away from the land pending final determination of the case.
Several calls and messages to the Anyinam District Police commander were unanswered.
The Atiwa East District Chief Executive who is chairman of the District Security Council (DISEC) however confirmed the arrest stating that he was at the Police station to ensure the right things were done.
The arrest of Abeiku Ansah comes just days after Abeiku Ansah cited the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atiwa East, Hon. Ernest Owusu Ntim, and three others for contempt of court, accusing them of trespassing on the same land.
On Monday, Hon. Owusu Ntim appeared before Koforidua High Court 2 in connection with the contempt application.
The court subsequently imposed a fine of GH¢12,000 on the DCE and the three others.
Meanwhile, the Atiwa East DCE has strongly denied allegations circulating on some online platforms linking him to illegal mining activities.
In a formal disclaimer, Hon. Owusu Ntim described the allegations as false, malicious and deliberately misleading, insisting that he has never been involved in illegal mining and has consistently supported efforts to combat galamsey in the district.
He clarified that the matter before the High Court is strictly a land ownership dispute between the people of Asamang-Tamfoe, his ancestral hometown, and the neighbouring Ankaase community, and has no connection whatsoever to mining activities.
According to the DCE, the land dispute predates his appointment and any attempt to link his public office to the case is reckless and unsupported by evidence.
Hon. Owusu Ntim further alleged that the false claims are being pushed by Daniel Abeiku Ansah, who he says is relying on questionable documents claiming the land was allocated by the Government of Ghana through Blacknake Security Service Limited.
Providing historical context, the DCE explained that the land was acquired by the state in 1957 through an Executive Instrument for bauxite extraction, an activity that never took place. He noted that the land has since been occupied and farmed by over 300 indigenes of Asamang-Tamfoe, a fact he says is supported by records from the Ghana Highway Authority, which compensated affected farmers during construction of the Osino–Anyinam bypass.
He also disclosed that the Chief and Elders of Asamang-Tamfoe have petitioned the Sale of Government Lands Review Committee at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for administrative review of the matter.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
