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‘Galamseyers’ attack AngloGold Ashanti security

  • SOURCE: | qwesa2big
  • Galamsey pixArmed illegal gold miners last Saturday attacked some members of the anti-galamsey security team of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) on the company’s concession in Obuasi.

    One of the security men was seriously wounded in the attack.

    The galamsey operators opened deep machete wounds at the occiput (the back of the head) and on the thigh of Peter Appiah, 38.

    He is receiving treatment at the AGA Hospital.

    The Medical Services Manager of the hospital, Paa Kwesi Cromwell, told the Daily Graphic in Obuasi last Tuesday that the victim had been brought in about 11.40 p.m. on Saturday in a very serious condition but doctors had worked hard to stabilise him.

    Encounter

    Giving details, the General Manager in charge of Public Affairs at AGA, Mr John Owusu said about 6.30 p.m. on Saturday, the anti-galamsey security team, was deployed to lay ambush at the areas where the illegal miners used to access their working areas.

    About 9.30 p.m., the team encountered a group of about 15 galamseyers near the KSM-Anyinam Club within the company’s operational area.

    The illegal miners abandoned a quantity of sacks containing gold-bearing materials, a long rope and five loaves of bread and fled.

    Mr Owusu said soon afterwards, the galamseyers regrouped and charged on the security team, demanding in particular the rope which aided them to go underground.

    Mr Owusu said the illegal miners threatened to deal with the security men if they failed to release the rope to them.

    “In the course of the exchanges, they charged on the security men but the team members escaped,” he said.

    Attack

    Meanwhile, Mr Owusu said, as the security team escaped, a bloody attack went on in a nearby area called Justice Pit, where two of the anti-galamsey team members (all community police guards) intercepted three galamseyers who had emerged from a pit with head loads of gold-bearing material.

    Suddenly, 12 galamseyers emerged from the bush and charged on the security team with machetes.

    In the course of the attack, Appiah, who belonged to the community police guard, took to his heels but he was chased by the illegal miners, who inflicted wounds on him.

    Though he bled, Appiah mustered courage and ran to board a taxi, which took him to the AGA Hospital.

    The case has since been reported to the Obuasi Police.

    When contacted, the Obuasi Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Dwumfuor Berchie, said his district officer had informed him about the incident, adding that the police were waiting for the suspect to give a statement to enable the police to proceed with investigations.

    Source: Daily Graphic

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