Nkroful Magistrate Stripped Naked; Accused of Freeing Galamseyers ‘By Heart’
Some shocking details, regarding the circumstances leading to the relocation of Her Worship Awo Amissah, the former Magistrate of Nkroful in the Ellembelle of the Western Region, have emerged.
The Magistrate, in a latest revelation, is being accused of allegedly thwarting efforts by the District Assembly, as well as, the police, to rid the area of illegal mining activities, notoriously known as ‘galamsey’.
According to the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh, Her Worship Awo Amissah, who has relocated from the area under controversial circumstances, was always granting bails to arrested illegal miners or opting for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), thereby, frustrating efforts by the Assembly and the Police.
The DCE, mentioned instances where Police have refused several requests by the Assembly for operations to fight the menace, because of the number of times the magistrate allegedly freed the illegal miners.
“Strangely, on Monday 4th April, 2022, the District Magistrate called the police and ordered them to bring the suspects before her court and to the surprise of the police, overturned her earlier conviction, and ordered that the suspects should be freed.
As a result, when the Assembly recently wrote to the police to arrest galamseyers, the police was reluctant to act due to the fact that even when they arrest illegal miners, the District Court will free them.
“In a related-incident back in 2nd April, 2020, when the District Security Council carried out an operation at illegal mining sites at Anwia and Nkroful, two suspects, Mr. Eric Essien and Seidu Tahiru, were arrested. Police sent the suspects to court to be remanded in police custody to enable proper investigation to be carried out. On the 3rd of April, 2020, the court thought otherwise, and rather granted them bail. (Attached are the police report and the minutes of DISEC meeting held on 5th April, 2020)”, he added;
The DCE disclosed this in a statement sighted by The Anchor, and addressed to the Regional Administrative Officer, Diana Naana Asiam, dated July 29, 2022, detailing reasons they think the Magistrate left her bungalow without prior notice.
It follows allegations that, Her Worship Amissah, relocated from Nkroful because of illegal mining activities.
Mr Bonzoh in his response to the Administrative Officer, Diana Naana Asiam, who wrote to inform the DCE about the Magistrate’s decision to leave the bungalow, accused the run-away magistrate of treating these illegal miners with ‘kid gloves’.
“With the specific issue, it might interest you to know that the very Magistrate of the Nkroful District Court who is claiming that “the galamsey activities ongoing poses a great threat to her life”, is the same person who has been frustrating the Assembly’s fight against galamsey, by treating galamseyers with kids’ gloves, when they are arrested and put before her court.
These incidences have emboldened galamseyers, rendering the fight against illegal mining activities in the district, very difficult and unsuccessful. For the Nkroful Magistrate Court treat illegal miners with kid- gloves and turn round to accuse the Assembly for failing to stop illegal mining, to say the list, is hypocritical”, the statement from the DCE said.
He also enumerated the times the Assembly and the Police intervened in reported cases of galamsey activities and after perpetuators were arrested, the situation was calmed.
“This shows the Assembly at every point in time, has taken steps to stop illegal mining”, he stressed.
Before the rejoinder by the DCE, the Magistrate was initially reported to have vacated her bungalow claiming she did so as a result of galamsey activities behind her residence which posed serious health and security challenges to her life.
The letter to the DCE, dated July 14 2022 captioned “relocation out of assigned government bungalow Nkroful District Court Magistrate” by Diana Naana Asiam said, “I write to inform you that the Magistrate of the Nkroful District Court has relocated out of the government bungalow assigned to her as the activities of the illegal mining at the bungalow is a threat to her safety, security and health.
The ongoing mining at the back of the bungalow is affecting her health as the galamsey takes place during day and night depriving her of the needed rest/sleep. Also, the chemicals used in the mining activities and the noise from the area are having impact on her health”.
The Regional Administrative Officer’s letter, a copy of which has been sighted by The Anchor continued “On 5th March, 2020, as directed by the then Supervisory High Court Judge, the Regional Administrator and the Regional Works Superintendent visited the Assembly- District Chief Executive and Coordinating Director on how to provide conducive accommodation for the Magistrate. There was assurance from the Assembly that the galamsey activities would be stopped and the assembly would also provide the needed security and environment for the Magistrate.
However, the situation has gotten worse. Taking into consideration all these factors, the assigned bungalow is not conducive for the Magistrate. I therefore write to inform you that the Magistrate has moved out of the bungalow for her safety and health”.
The letter attached photos of the galamsey activities at the back of the bungalow.
But in a quick response, the DCE said there is no iota of truth in the claim by the Magistrate.
According to him, their information is that, contrary to the aforementioned claims in the Regional Administrative Officer’s letter, Her Worship Amissah relocated her bungalow due to apparent issues some Magistrates are having with the Judicial Service, which has resulted in some of them, having their allowances restricted by the Consolidated Fund.
He explained that deceptively on the blind side of many, some magistrates are taking rent allowances from the Fund, while occupying in government bungalows.
Interestingly, one of such magistrates, the DCE alleged, was the Nkroful District Magistrate.
He explained that the action of these Magistrates was illegal and so they will be expected to refund such allowances since they have been occupying in bungalows and receiving rent allowances at the same time.
Mr Bonzoh said but the magistrate in his attempt to cover her illegal action rather opted to use a different reason for her sudden relocation so that the illegal rent allowances she was receiving would not be forfeited.
“We wish to state that information available to us indicate that the decision by the Magistrate of the Nkroful District Court to relocate out of her official residence has nothing to do with the purported threat to her safety, security and health as a result of alleged illegal mining activity at the back of her bungalow stated in the letter.
We are reliably informed that she is only using that as a ploy to move out of her official residence so she can continue enjoying her personal benefit of accommodation/rent allowance from the Judicial Service which she has been directed to forfeit as long as she continues to live in a government bungalow.
It is therefore not surprising to us that the Magistrate did not even deem it necessary to inform us of her decision to relocate until the District Chief Executive (DCE) called her personally on Wednesday July 27th around 6:30 pm after receiving the letter from the Regional Administrative Officer of the Judiciary Service of Ghana”.
Mr Bonzoh said, prior to her decision to suddenly vacate the bungalow, “there was absolutely no threat to the life and safety of the Magistrate in any way. As Chairman of the Ellembelle District Security Council (DISEC), I know for a fact that the Magistrate has been provided with two police guards, one personal bodyguard and another residence guard detailed to provide her with security. It is therefore deceptive for the Magistrate to cite her personal safety and security as reasons for relocating.
He continued “Paragraph two (2) of the letter from the Judicial Service of Ghana alleges that there is an “ongoing mining at the back of the bungalow (which) is affecting her health as the galamsey REPUBLIC OF GHANA takes place during day and night depriving her of the needed rest/sleep. It also states that “the chemicals used in the mining activities and the noise from the area are having impact on her health.’ It goes further to claim that “the galamsey activities ongoing poses a great threat to her life as there have been series of clashes involving the galamsey operators within the area”. We find the attempt by the Magistrate to link her decision to move out of her bungalow to the purported ongoing galamsey activities as very disingenuous. This is because currently there is no ongoing illegal mining activity behind her residence as she wants the world to believe”.
Adding “We believe that if there is any institution within the Ellembelle District which can attest to our relentless efforts in the fight against galamsey in the last three (3) years it should be the Nkroful District Court. We say so because the Court is very much aware of the numerous arrests that has been made during galamsey operations led the DCE in his capacity as Chairman of DISEC after which the suspects have been arraigned before various courts either in Nkroful, Axim or even Teakoradi for prosecution”.
The Ellembelle DCE who took time to explain issues attached to the statement, minutes of the District Security Council meetings of the Assembly, and statements from the Police to the DCE revealing times they arrested illegal miners but they were strangely granted contrary to their request to keep them under their custody for further investigation.
Source: Anchorghana.com