Police say Chinese miners not mining in river

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Hamidu Mahama, Western Regional Police Commander, on Monday said that Chinese miners were not prospecting for gold in the Ankobra River.

He explained that the miners had concession to mine on land but the right had been withdrawn and it was unlikely that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would permit them to mine in the Ankobra River.

DCOP Mahama, who was speaking at a press briefing at Sekondi, said that the Police had ordered the Chinese miners who had kept their equipment along the banks of the river not to mine in there.

Miss Irene Heathcote, Western Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told GNA that the Chinese miners, who had concession to mine at Kutukorm, wanted to ferry their equipment across Ankobra.

She said that the request of the miners was refused because they did not have permit and the Nzema East Municipal Assembly asked them not to ferry the equipment until they were authorised to do so.

Miss Heathcote said that the EPA would not grant the miners permit and they were being policied to ensure that they did not move any equipment.

She said that the miners caused destruction to the environment when assembling a dredger in the river and they would cause greater destruction when the equipment is ferried upstream to Kutukrom.

Source: GNA