Asanko condemns murder of its 2 security personnel and a civilian at Tontokrom
The management of Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd, operators of the Asanko Gold Mine in the Ashanti Region have condemned the killing of its two contracted security personnel and a civilian in the last Saturday clash at Tontokrom in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region.
Advertisement
The company is calling on the security agencies to swiftly investigate the circumstances that led to the murder of the three and to bring the perpetrators to book.
In a statement issued by the company dated March 4, 2024, and copied to the media, management of Asanko explained that the illegal miners who attacked the security personnel were not residents of Tontokrom.
“Asanko remains committed to the safety of our employees, contractors and community members, and urges the security agencies in the country to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book,” it urged.
Event
The statement said that on the day of the incident, the personnel of the contracted security service were on their periodic patrols within the mining communities in the region and visited the Tontokrom concession belonging to Asanko.
However, the statement said to “the surprise of everyone, the illegal miners did not come to carry out their illegal mining activities that day.
“To secure the Tontokrom Concession, Asanko then deployed its licensed contractor private security service provider to patrol the area”, the statement said.
Attack
According to the management, it was while the officials of the licensed private security service provider were patrolling the Tontokrom Concession that they were attacked by the illegal miners who were hiding in the bushes.
“Upon seeing the illegal miners emerging from the bushes with various guns, club, machetes and other weapons, the security officers chose to retreat since they were unarmed.
“Unfortunately, two (2) of the private security officers were captured and lynched to death by these illegal miners. Asanko was also informed that a civilian was also lynched to death by these criminals. In all, three (3) persons are dead,” the statement said.
It said for years now, “it has always been the case that illegal miners, who are not residents at Tontokrom, have been encroaching on Asanko’s legally held concessions. It has also been the case that these illegal miners have been harassing both the staff of Asanko and its contractors.”
The statement concluded that the activities of these illegal miners were erasing all the efforts that the government and its officers were putting in to make Ghana the premier mining investment destination in the world.
