According to Elvis Darko, editor of the Newscenta Newspaper, many security personnel assigned to fight illegal mining are compensated by galamsey operators.
Darko stated on Monday, August 31, on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily that the suspected financial ties between unlawful miners and security officers are impeding enforcement efforts and letting galamsey grow.
According to a recent report from a contact in the security services, when a new security chief is assigned to a region that is vulnerable to galamsey, the individual is allegedly presented with a list of colleagues who are already receiving money from illegal miners.
According to Darko, the next officer is then allegedly instructed to either take money or risk engaging in combat with illegal miners while other authorities continue to gain from the activity.
As proof that the threat is getting worse, Darko further stated that illegal mining has spread to areas where there was previously little to no galamsey.
“I received some little information from a buddy who works in the security services over the previous week. He claimed that this is what the galamseyers do: You change the head of security, and whatever you do, they go to the new person who enters and show him the list, stating, “These are all your coworkers as well; they are all on our payroll. Only the local level is affected. “
He said, “And then the big people in Accra who are also on the payroll, they show it to you. And they say, ‘You either accept the money we give you, or if you say you will fight us, the people in Accra will be taking the money and we will be walking free. So, it’s better you take the money.”
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