Police, youth clash at Asamanma, leaving 2 dead
Four persons are feared dead, while five others sustained injuries, following a fierce clash between policemen and land guards, on one side, and illegal miners, on the other, at Akyem Asamanma in the Atiwa West District in the Eastern Region yesterday.
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The police at Kwabeng confirmed the death of two persons, but eyewitnesses put the number of dead people at four.
The incident occurred when the police stormed a mining concession belonging to a private individual at Akyem Asamanma to arrest illegal miners who were prospecting for gold in the area.
According to an eyewitness, who said he was a farmer, the police fired shots at the illegal miners even before they could explain themselves and, in the course of the action, five of them were injured, while four died instantly.
Victim
A victim of the incident, Moses Tsormana, who narrowly escaped gunshots, told the Daily Graphic that he was on his way from the mining area towards the town when he heard an unusual noise.
He said after walking a distance, he met some policemen and land guards wielding guns who threatened him and later shot him in the stomach, but the bullets could not penetrate.
"My brother also appeared and the police immediately shot at him. Presently he is on admission at hospital," he said.
Another escapee, William Bossman, said he was from the farm when he heard some noise and when he got to the scene of the noise he realised that some people had been shot.
Gunshots
He alleged that Kwaku Ayebiahwe, a known gold dealer, had brought the police and the land guards to prevent the miners from mining on his concession at Asamanma.
Bossman called on the government to launch an immediate investigation into the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
"We heard in the morning that the police might come around. Between 11 a.m. and midday, we saw the police coming around and they started shooting indiscriminately.
“In the course of it, four died. We heard that Ayebiahwe, who claims ownership of the concession, was the one who brought the police to sack us from this place,” another miner who gave his name only as Junior said.
The Kwabeng District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) John Yeboah, confirmed the incident but denied that five people had died.
According to him, seven persons suffered gunshot wounds and two of them lost their lives.
DSP Yeboah said the police had begun investigations into the matter.