Amansie Central DCE Emmanuel Obeng-Agyemang Caught Up in New Galamsey Exposé, Accused of Extortion

• The Amansie Central DCE, Emmanuel Obeng-Agyemang, has been implicated in a galamsey extortion scandal
• Secret recordings captured in a Joy News exposé disclosed an extortion network operated by the local government
• There have been calls for Obeng-Agyemang's immediate dismissal following the documentary's revelations

The Amansie Central District Chief Executive, Emmanuel Obeng-Agyemang, is the most high-profile appointee caught up in a new galamsey exposé.

Obeng-Agyemang was caught on camera playing a part in the system to extort money from illegal miners to allow them to continue their destruction of the environment.

The National Disaster Management Organisation in the district was also implicated by the reporting by Joy News.

The reporting featured in a documentary called "A Tax for Galamsey: The extortion racket fuelling illegal mining".

Through undercover reporting, secret recordings, documentary evidence and on-the-ground infiltration, the investigation outlined the extortion network involving the District Assembly and a task force operating under the authority of Obeng-Agyemang.

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Illegal miners are reportedly charged GH₵6,000 per year to operate some machines used in illegal mining, like the Chang Fa.

The full documentary can be viewed below.

In response to the revelations, the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, called for Agyemang's sacking.

“Certainly, this DCE doesn’t have to be in the office within the next 24 hours. You cannot say that you are allowing people to destroy the environment and then collecting money to restore the same environment under circumstances where the destruction itself is illegal."

“There are Minerals Commission offices, and the Minerals Commission is the entity supposed to regulate the mining sector, not district assemblies. So certainly, this is a matter that I expect that in the course of the day, this DCE must be relieved of his position."

Online, there have also been calls for Agyemang to be sacked over the exposé.

Source: YEN.com.gh