The minority in Parliament has denounced the alleged torture of young men who were allegedly working as illegal miners by some uniformed individuals.
The young men, who are thought to be illegal miners, were seen on camera lying in mud with soldiers-looking individuals in uniform standing over them brandishing weapons.
The incident is said to have happened at Obuasi, Ashanti Region, on Friday, July 15, 2022.
The uniformed soldiers are accused of torturing the victims while they swam in muddy waters.
Despite warnings from the security guards, they are accused of breaking into AngloGold Ashanti’s underground mines to mining there.
They apparently got caught up in a mining operation on the concession.
However, it is unclear who provided the orders to torture the accused miners.
John Jinapor, the minority spokesperson on Mines and Energy, reacted to the video by denouncing the use of force against the supposed illegal miners.
“We vehemently oppose the use of excessive, disproportionate, and brutish force in the ostensible struggle against illegal mining.
The Akufo-Addo administration’s flagrant contempt for our laws and constitution is regrettable and ought to be strongly denounced, according to Mr. Jinapor.
Here is the whole statement:
The Minority has heard very upsetting stories of the brutal treatment given to suspected illegal miners who were detained by the Military on the grounds of the mining corporation Anglo-Gold Ashanti in Obuasi.
We are aware that a number of human rights violations occurred when these alleged miners were severely tortured after being apprehended on Friday, July 15.
Even if the minority firmly opposes all forms of encroachment and illegal mining, we also oppose using excessive or disproportionate amounts of force against it. The Akufo-Addo led government’s obvious contempt for our laws is regrettable and ought to be denounced as strongly as possible. We consider this situation to be abhorrent, terrible, and totally repugnant.
Foreigners, on the other hand, are always treated with kid gloves, and in some cases the law has been compromised to favor them in the name of fostering international monetary relations, while the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia led Government remains silent regarding this dastardly and heinous act that is continuously meted out to the average Ghanaian by some members of the military.
You may be reminded of the infamous incident involving the Chinese Galamsey Queen Aisha Huang. After her arrest for taking part in illegal mining, the state abruptly ended the legal proceedings on the flimsy pretext that they stood to gain financially from her release. Although her prosecution ought to have served as a warning to others, it was handled as usual with child gloves.
Therefore, the Minority wants to demand that a fair and reliable inquiry into this act be conducted and that those responsible be subjected to the full force of the law. This is the only way to demonstrate that the lawlessness and favoritism that have plagued this administration are at least being addressed.
We will continue to be watchful and dedicated to making sure that the constitution protects every Ghanaian’s rights.
