Former Mpohor DCE Linked To Shutdown Of Illegal Mining Site At Adum Banso.
The Environmental Protection Agency has directed the immediate shutdown of a small-scale mining operations — JKCEM Mining and I AM GOLD Mining Project Department at Adum Banso K9 in the Mpohor District over regulatory breaches.
The directive followed a routine compliance inspection by the EPA in the Western Region, during which officials discovered that the companie were operating without an EPA permit and had also engaged Chinese nationals in their operations.
During the inspection, caretaker of the mine, Kwame Peprah, disclosed that the concession is owned by one Obed Osei and former Mpohor District Chief Executive, Assah Mensah.
When EPA officials requested the mine’s environmental certification a mandatory requirement for all small-scale mining operations management failed to produce any valid permit documents.
As a result, the EPA’s Deputy Director in charge of Mining, Harrison Afful, ordered the immediate closure of the site until the appropriate certification is obtained.
Officials also observed that activities at the concession appeared to exceed the scope of small-scale mining operations, particularly due to the involvement of Chinese nationals, a situation that has triggered further sanctions by the EPA.
To confirm the ownership of the site by the former DCE, the Security Man on site spoke to Channel One News.
Story by Nana Fynn@W/R.
