The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Upper Denkyira West in the Central Region has been suspended for comments he made after the murder of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama.

The decision to suspend Daniel Appianin was taken by President Nana Akufo-Addo and communicated by the Local Government Minister.

Government and Rural Development Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama who confirmed the suspension said, “the President has directed that we do some investigations on the matter and on his [Daniel Apiannin] conduct and report.

"In the interim, he is to hand over his duties to the Deputy Regional Minister [Thomas Agyei Baffour]. Therefore, for now, he has been suspended,” the minister stated.

She said that investigation will focus on “recent events and what happened in the press – his utterances and all that.”

“We need to have a good view on that, find out what happened and thereafter, we will look at his actions and decide whether he should be relieved of his position. But in the interim, he is on suspension,” she said. 

Hajia Mahama said the suspension has become necessary to allow for probes into Mr Appianin claims and the ongoing investigations into the grim murder of Capt. Mahama. 

Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said on Wednesday that government is considering comments attributed to the District following the lynching of an Army Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama.

Captain Maxwell Mahama, who was with the 5th Infantry Battalion was lynched while jogging at dawn on Monday.

He was allegedly stoned to death and burnt by the youth of the area who mistook him for an armed robber.

Capt. Mahama was Commander of about 100 officers who were sent to the Denkyira Obuasi township to assist the government in the fight against illegal mining.

Mr. Daniel Appiannin who is the head of the District's Security Council said he was unaware of the presence of military officers in the area detailed to supervise a clamp down on illegal mining.

"...in fact, he is said to be the leader…I am shocked they are not briefing you very well but rather claiming they are here to fight galamseyers,” the DCE said. 

Social media descended heavily on the DCE's condemning the comments which many believed was insensitive and ignorant.

Veteran journalist Abdul Kweku Baako called on government to dismiss the DCE who has been in office barely four weeks ago.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said he has monitored comments on social media and "the very comments apparently made by the DCE".

"We will take all of those [comments] into account" when the President returns from an ECOWAS trip, he said.