Body of suspected illegal miner who went missing retrieved

The body of a suspected illegal artisanal miner who went missing has been retrieved from Newmont Ghana’s Ahafo mine’s operational area with the assistance of local police.

The body was located, identified and retrieved from an illegal mining pit dug within the Ahafo mine’s Apensu pit area on Friday, June 10, 2022,

This was after the company granted access to the police and the traditional authorities from Hwidiem in the Asutifi North district in the Ahafo region.

The deceased, a resident of Hwediem, was left behind when they were chased away by Newmont security following their unlawful entry into their mining concession site at Kampisigo.

The deceased, identified as Emmanuel Kwabena Atikum, was among four persons doing their illegal activities at night on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

In a statement issued by the management of Newmont Ghana’s Ahafo Mine on Monday, June 13, 2022, the company denied being responsible for his death.

The statement signed by the Acting General Managing, Alex Kofi Annin, said per the laws of Ghana, their security contractors are unarmed, and have no weapons to apply to them.

“Over the weekend, there have been media reports, (based on an erroneous social media post) alleging the victim had been shot and linking the company to the illegal miner’s death,” the statement said.

We vehemently denied it because “Newmont Ghana’s private security contractors are unarmed as per Ghanaian law,” Mr Kofi Annin explained.

“The Police are investigating and we are fully cooperating with them to establish the cause of the death,” he added.

“Despite Newmont Ghana’s work to prevent these illegal mining activities, the Company expresses its condolences to the family and community of the deceased,” the statement concluded.