War Against Illegal Mining: Seized Excavator Disappears …From Lawful Custody?

An excavator belonging to suspected illegal miners (galamseyers) which was impounded by the Rapid Response Team of the Forestry Commission from the Upper Wassa Forest Reserve in the Bibiani Forest of the Western North region has mysteriously gone missing.

On May 17, 2025 at approximately 13:00hrs GMT, the Rapid Response Team, acting on intelligence, conducted an operation within the Amenase area of the forest reserve to clamp down on illegal mining activities.

Upon reaching the site, the illegal miners fled, abandoning an excavator with chassis number 1148/8137457-00 and model number SE 2151-KLC.

The team moved the equipment to a nearby town, while awaiting a low-loader truck to transport it to the Forestry Commission’s office in Bibiani.

While waiting, two individuals, identified as Kwabena Anyimade and Kweku Asuama Atobrah approached the Forestry officers and claimed ownership of the excavator and the mining site. The two were immediately arrested.

However, while en route to the Bibiani Police Station with the suspects, the team was intercepted at Modaso by the Diaso District Police Commander, Superintendent Bernard Morgan and a member of the Formed Police Unit (FPU), identified only as Alhassan. The officers allegedly demanded the release of the suspects.

Unconfirmed report says the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Denkyira West, Ebenezer Appiah Forson had asked for the excavator to be kept at the District Assembly premises for “proximity” reasons.

A top government official, according to unconfirmed report instructed Supt. Morgan to intervene and secure the release of the suspects – a request the Forestry Commission officers allegedly declined, insisting that the matter must be handled through the legal system.

Following a heated exchange, the suspects were eventually handed over to the Diaso Police for further investigation.

However, when the Forestry team later returned to retrieve the excavator, it had vanished – taken away by unknown individuals to an undisclosed location.

When The Chronicle reached out to the DCE, Mr. Ebenezer Appiah Forson for his comment, he stated that he was not aware of the incident and advised the reporter to visit his office the following Monday.

“I’m sorry, per your question you need to engage the security services. For now… you can come to the office on Monday. I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of a meeting,” he said.

A source close to Supt. Bernard Morgan, in a separate interview, confirmed that the excavator was indeed missing.

The source admitted that the Police Commander was called by the DCE concerning the arrest of “some people” and was asked to intervene.

The source argued that since the incident occurred within his jurisdiction, it was appropriate for the suspects to be detained at Diaso for proximity and convenience.

The source, however, disputed the Forestry Commission’s assertion that the incident occurred within a forest reserve. When asked directly if the DCE had instructed him to halt the transfer of the suspects to Bibiani, the source denied receiving any such directive.

“He (Commander) was in the office when the DCE called him and said that two people within the constituency had been arrested by immigration officers and that they were being transported towards Diaso.

“He asked him to find out what was happening. So the commander mobilised a few men, and intercepted them at Modaso.

“After discussions, the Forestry officers agreed to hand over the suspects to us. We detained them, gave them statement forms and asked the officers to return the following day so we could retrieve the excavator from where it was parked and bring it to the police station,” the source said.

The source further told The Chronicle that the Forestry officers never returned the following day as agreed. Meanwhile, investigations into the missing excavator are ongoing.

The case was recently heard at the Bibiani District Court and the two suspects have since been granted bail.

The next court date is set for June 2025.

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