A/R: Tension as irate youth beat Chinese man to death; two arrested

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A Chinese national has died after he was attacked by some irate youth in the Bosome Freho District town of Nsuaem No. 2 in the Ashanti Region.

The incident, which happened on Wednesday, April 16, left two of his compatriots sustaining minor injuries, the police said in a statement.

Witnesses told Dailymailgh.com that the violent attack is in response to a latest accident at a mining site that claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy who had gone in search of gold pellets with his colleagues.

The youth, who claimed the site is being mined illegally by these foreign nationals besieged their home and attacked them.

The deceased has been named as Li Dao Peng, aged 44. It is gathered that he sustained severe injuries during the attack in his rented apartment and was sent to the Nsuaem Chip Compound for treatment.

He was later referred to the Asiwa Health Center, but was referred again to the Atasamanso Hospital for further treatment and was pronounced dead at about 6:00pm local time.

Police officers were sent to the community to restore order; some of the youth groups who sensed danger had to flee to avoid being arrested.

The angry youth also accused the security agencies and the District Chief Executive, Yaw Danso, as the ones behind the surge in illegal mining activities in the District.

Assemblyman for Nsuaem, Daniel Acheamfour, told Dailymailgh.com that at least four persons have been arrested, but police official police figures claimed two persons, aged 20 and 29 had been arrested.

“The deceased was attacked three days ago. We were told he was unwell and so we suspected a case of Covid-19 and so he was transferred to Atasamanso for his samples to be tested but it turned negative; but unfortunately he died, police are yet to ascertain what really caused the attack but it may be linked to the accident that involved the 14-year-old”, the Assemblyman narrated.

“He was attacked in the house and not at the site because some mobile devices and some unspecified amounts of money have been stolen,” he further added.

There are reports of some Chinese nationals who have invaded mining sites across Ghana where they have hired excavators and other heavy machinery to undertake surface mining, a situation that is causing massive environmental destruction in the area.

A new illegal mining law which pegs sentences for offenders between 15 to 25 years has been introduced.

Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo in a meeting said the government took the decision to amend the law and increase the lenient laws and take away the discretion of judges who gave offenders minor sentences.

Those who intervene for others will also receive stiffer punishment.

He said the law which was brought to him for his assent just yesterday, will ensure that the undesired bails that are granted to both Ghanaians and foreigners who destroy the environment.

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH