An elected official and three others face arrest after allegedly leading a violent assault on security officers during an illegal mining crackdown in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.
Patrick Asare, Assemblyman for Bonteso in Amansie South District, was detained Wednesday alongside Akwesi Amponsah, Osei Vasco, and Owusu Alexander.
The confrontation erupted when the Special Anti-Galamsey Task Force seized an excavator during routine patrols. Police say Asare mobilized miners who blocked exit routes, hurled stones at officers, and threatened “bloodshed” to prevent machinery removal. Amid the chaos, two individuals fired pump-action guns at the team.
Despite injuries to ASP Bawah Abdul Jalil and G/Sgt. Agblekpe Mawuena Yao, officers used measured force to disperse the crowd and secure the excavator. The equipment was later moved to Manso Adubia Police Station.
All four suspects will be transferred to Accra for prosecution, marking the latest escalation in Ghana’s battle against illegal mining.
