The integrity of the anti-galamsey taskforce, Operation Vanguard, set up by government to stop illegal mining has been called to question following an increase of the activity across the country.
This was after a Deputy Communications Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC); Kwaku Boahen claimed the joint police and military taskforce has been compromised.
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The government’s resolve to end illegal mining received further impetus with the deployment of security men to three regions considered to be the most affected areas.
Dubbed “Operation Vanguard”, the 400 security men made up of personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Ghana Police Service have been divided into three groups to cover the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions.
The teams have been tasked to stay in their assigned regions until all forms of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, have been stopped and unauthorised mining pits permanently destroyed.
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But Kwaku Boahen on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Wednesday accused the National Anti-Galamsey Taskforce in the regions of taking bribes.
He said taking bribe has become the norm in the communities where the illegal mining activities are prevalent.
“Members of Operation Vanguard also engage in galamsey; they take bribe from the illegal miners at Prestea and Amenfi West,” the NDC man alleged.
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Kwaku Boahen bemoaned how members of the Operation Vanguard team are conniving with the illegal miners when the Akufo-Addo led government is putting in place measures to curb the menace.
he charged government to investigate the bribery allegations against the task force if it wants to chalk any success in the fight against galamsey.