Residents of Konongo-Odumase in the Asante Akim North District of the Ashanti Region are accusing some police personnel of engaging in illegal mining. They claim activities of the police personnel and other illegal miners pose serious threats to commuters who ply the Accra-Kumasi road and therefore need immediate intervention. Residents are also accusing officers not directly involved in illegal mining of collecting bribes ranging from GH¢1,500 to GH¢4,000 to allow ‘galamseyers’ to go about their business freely. The Daily Guide newspaper reports that the area where the supposed ‘galamseyers’ were working has been completely dug up, with the exception of a few meters into the main Accra-Kumasi road. The paper said some of the youth engaged in ‘galamseying’, explain they had a permit from police in the area to operate, stressing they paid officers GH¢4,000 for every four hours they spent in a pit. The more time one spends down there, the more one pays, they added. “The money paid to police is to allow us carry out mining activities on the concession without any conflict. So we are not to be bothered by any media house,” they noted. According to the ‘galamseyers’, besides the money they pay to the police, they also share their booty with officers posted to watch the site to prevent the youth from conducting any mining activities. Others, who pleaded anonymity, admitted they have been conducting illegal mining activities with most of the police personnel. To confirm this, DAILY GUIDE recently paid a visit to the site one evening and found some youth busily digging for gold at a concession not far from the Accra-Kumasi main road whilst a policeman posted there to prevent this looked on unconcerned. When DAILY GUIDE contacted the Divisional Commander of Asante Akim North, Supt. Afriyie Sakyi, he denied the miners’ allegations saying the youth were only trying to implicate the police in their illegal activities. He said when news recently reached him that some police personnel were into ‘galamsey’, he personally went to most radio stations and advised the youth to report such personnel to the police station. “Since then, nobody has reported any policeman, so I wonder why they still insist police have given them permits to conduct illegal mining at the area,” he said. According to Supt. Sakyi, police arrested some of the illegal miners and sent them to court on Wednesday where the court cautioned and discharged them. He further explained that police at the district are finding it tough to control the youth involved in illegal mining activities because during the 2008 electioneering campaign, leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) made several promises to allow the youth to continue illegal mining in the area without any interference. Source: Daily Guide