President of Concerned Small Scale Miners released from police cell

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Lawyers for the President of the Concerned Small Scale Miners’ Association are unhappy about the posture of the Ghana Police Service following the detention of their client.

Michael Kwadwo Peprah spent the night in a police cell in Kumasi after he was picked up by the law enforcers from the Cyber Crime Unit Saturday.

He had subsequently been transferred to the Nima Police Station in Accra Sunday where he is being held.

Speaking to Accra-based Joy News, counsel for Mr. Peprah, Bobby Banson said his client is yet to be officially charged. He has since been released.

“As it stands now officially we don’t know why he has been arrested. He was told by the officers that he was arrested for allegedly causing fear and panic. He was picked up yesterday afternoon, at the time he called me. He slept on a bench at the Central Police Station in Kumasi”, narrated Lawyer Banson.

“This morning he was brought here. The officer that brought him left without leaving any note. My client further tells me he was asked to give a statement but he said he can’t do so without the absence of his lawyer”, he further explained.

DailyMailGh.com understands that Mr. Peprah’s mobile devices have been seized by the police as he may face charges of spreading false news to cause fear and panic.

There are claims he was arrested on the orders of the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Prof. Frimpong Boateng.

Peprah, who is also a National Democratic Congress (NDC) stalwart was scheduled to hold a press conference tomorrow, Monday, August 30, on the manifesto of the major political parties and the pledges on small scale mining.

His arrest has been strongly condemned by the party who are demanding his immediate release.

The National Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi described the action as intimidation by the Akufo-Addo government when he engaged the media at the Nima Police Station where Michael Kwadwo Peprah is currently being kept.

“This morning we got information that the president of Concerned Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana has been arrested by officers belonging to the Cybercrime Unit of the Ghana Police Service in the Ashanti Region. We understand that he was detained at the Ashanti Regional Office and this morning transported to the Nima Police Station. We’ve spoken to him and he tells us that he was arrested yesterday at 3 pm in Kumasi and was not told the reason for his arrest. His phones were seized and taken to his house and a search was conducted.”

“We have gathered information that he was arrested over a post he made on his Facebook wall ahead of the Association’s planned press conference to compare the NPP’s manifesto and that of the NDC on the issue of small scale mining. Our sources at the Cyber Crime Unit tell us this arrest was on the orders of the Minister of Environment, Prof Frimpong Boateng who is not happy at how the association of small scale miners led by Mr. Preprah has exposed the criminal galamsey he has been supervising and we see this as clear intimidation by the Akufo-Addo administration,” Gyamfi added.

Mr. Gyamfi further called on all other civil society organisations to speak up and condemn the action being meted out to Mr. Peprah.

“We humbly entreat the media and CSOs to follow this matter and give it the attention it deserves.”

Mr. Gyamfi and some NDC party members had visited the Nima Police Station at the time of filing this report.

Source: Daily Mail GH