Kumbugu Member of Parliament is livid over a decision by the Military to torch tipper trucks and excavators used for illegal sand winning activities at the Dalun river in the Northern Region.

Ras Mubarak said the action by the Military is illegal and has vowed to seek justice on behalf of the owners of the trucks.

A contingent of armed military personnel set fire to 14 tipper trucks and an excavator used for sand winning at Dalun river a tributary of the White Volta in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region.

The burning was done after several warning to sand winners to stop their illegal activity close to the river failed.

The activities of sand winners have threatened the Dalun river which is a major source of water supply to the people in the region.

Managers of the Ghana Water Company have been concerned about the state of the Dalun river which is continuously polluted by the activities of sand winners and also risk drying up.

Last month, officials of the national security issued an ultimatum to sand winners to stop and evacuate all equipment being used for sand winning in the area.

But that order appeared to have fallen on deaf ears forcing the military to torch all equipment being used for sand winning close to the river.

The action has left owners of the equipment as well as the MP for the area, Ras Mubarak in a state of anger.

Mubarak told Joy News the military cannot use illegal means to solve what they deemed to be an illegal conduct.

He would rather the suspects are arrested and prosecuted but not to have their equipment burnt.

He said the conduct of the military is likely to incur needless judgment debt to the government and has vowed to seek justice for the affected persons.

In a comment on social media, the MP said the Mining Act makes specific provisions on how to deal with offenders and burning of equipment is not part of it.

"We cannot allow such lawlessness ordered from above to go unpunished," he said

The full comment is as follows;

The Regional Security Council is naively telling the press that people failed to heed warnings, hence the directive to burn down 14 trucks, an excavator and a number of motorbikes. 

For the information of my Hon. Friend -  the regional minister, and his team, there are specific provisions in our mining laws - ACT 900, as to what to do about offenders. For the education of security officers and politicians who have developed a penchant of ordering security personnel to burn down equipments, the law in section 99(5) of ACT 900 provides that, "where a person is arrested for an offence in under subsection 3 or 4, any equipment used in or associated with the commission of the offence shall, regardless of ownership of the equipment or product, be seized and kept in the custody of the police."

And where a person is convicted under subsections 2,3, or 4, of section 99(6) of the ACT, the court "shall, in addition to the penalty that it may impose, order for the forfeiture of any equipment or product seized under subsection 5 to the state. 

And the Minister for Lands shall within 60days after the confiscation of equipment or products, allocate the equipment or products to the appropriate state institution. 

We cannot allow such lawlessness ordered from above to go unpunished. #JusticeWillBeServed