Investigative Desk Report
Attempts by some faceless persons to blackmail former District Chief Executive (DCE) of Amansie Central, Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng has been exposed.
It has been uncovered that the former DCE’s popularity, unprecedented achievements during his tenure as DCE coupled with his strong influence within and outside the District is seen as a big threat to some faceless person’s political ambition hence series of plots to blackmail him.
It would be recalled that, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership has officially announced that the nomination period for the presidential primaries will begin on May 26 and end on June 24, 2023. The party also announced that parliamentary primaries will be held on February 24, 2024 and nominations will be accepted between December 20, 2023, and January 4.
The whole agenda of the faceless persons, according to reliable sources is to tarnish Hon.Nana Kwame Asamoah Boateng’s hard won reputation to prevent him from either contesting the forthcoming internal election of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of 2024 general elections or seeking political appointments in future.
Even though, many residents of Amansie Central(Jacobu) and political watchers across Ashanti region in particular are aware of the previous unsuccessful dirty agenda to run down the former DCE who doubles as the immediate past Akwansrahene of Afoako, they were however, surprised that some key politicians with the support of a chief(name withheld) could this time round go to extent of spreading false information that the former DCE had been arrested for allegedly stealing mining equipments, extortion of money and intimidating miners with fake military personnel.
The former DCE is on record to have resisted illegal miners with police personnel from Jacobu especially about three (3) occasions and some illegal miners (galamseyers) were arrested from Akwansra family lands under Bekwai-Akwamu stool lands when he realized that despite efforts by Nana Akufo-Addo led government and Bekwai traditional leaders fight illegal mining activities fresh pits are seen in the following communities; Fiankoma, Ampofokrom, Ekorase, Mile 9, Mile 14, Anyeme and Atia among others.
The illegal miners (galamseyers) claimed a particular chief (name withheld) has given the lands to them but the former DCE is said to have vowed to get rid of their activities from Akwansra lands since the family haven’t sold the said lands to them.
The avowed decision of the former DCE is said to have annoyed the faceless chief who is benefiting from illegal miners to team up with some key politicians to blackmail the former DCE for been stumbling block to their illegal mining activities.
Painstaking investigations by TNT Investigative Desk in collaboration with The Punch Newspaper among others have revealed that the Jacobu police didn’t arrest Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng at any mining site with fake soldiers as has been alleged by a section of the media.
Our investigation has established that the Three (3) alleged fake soldiers as was reported by a section of the media and social media were neither fake soldiers or arrested at any mining site left alone to be extorting monies, stealing and intimidating miners together with the former DCE.
It has been gathered that the three (3) personnel are genuine military officers with 4BN who were waiting for Hon.Asamoah Boateng at Afoako junction on his way to Jacobu but was accidentally picked up by the police for their alleged involvement in the accusation against the former DCE.
According to source, one of the personnel name (withheld) is a closed friend of the Nephew of the former DCE who was supposed to meet him before they report to work on that faithful evening since they were off day.
The source said former DCE and his entourage managed to remove few Control boards and other equipment from the excavators which was been used by the illegal miners as evidence to the police and also to prevent the illegal miners from continuing their activities Those equipment are currently at the police custody.
According to our source, the former DCE and his entourage decided to remove some parts of the excavators after the illegal miners flee away upon seeing them because he have earlier on stormed the sites with police personnel to warn them to desist from mining in those areas.
Reliable source closed to Jacobu Police command has also confirmed that the former DCE was only met at Afoako Junction with a team of police personnel to invite him (Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng) to report to the police station for questioning following a complaint received by police bordering on mining related issues.
That the three (3) Military personnel who were in their uniform and had just met the former DCE at the same spot (Afoako junction) were perceived to be part of the former DCE’s entourage and fake soldiers.
The personnel were immediately picked up by Jacobu police for interrogation .
After giving their Identification Cards for verification and statement to police, they were subsequently detained to enable the police officially hand them to the 4BN Command to discipline them for going beyond distance to meet someone without official permit .The three(3) military personnel according to our investigation are currently under Military punishment.
Some scenes from Jacobu police station
Per our source, Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng after attempts to get bail from the police for the three personnel but the police Denied the bail he(Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng) decided to wait at the Jacobu police station till the next morning the Military police came for military personnel.
The faceless persons, it has emerged, embarked on this dangerous wild goose chase upon directives from some selfish and greedy politicians who are well bent on hampering the fight against illegal mining.
Sources within galamseyers said what happened was a calculated attempt to blackmail the former DCE and have their way out to continue their illegal mining since the former DCE has become a stumbling block to their activities .
The miners who spoke to our team said the former DCE have not taken Money from them even when he was in office or out of office.
According to our source,the current District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie Central,Hon.Michael Donkor who doubles as chairman of the District Security Council(DISEC) also stormed the police station to enable him gets first hand information from the District police Command after the falsehood spread like wild fire about the reported arrest of the former DCE and alleged fake soldiers.
The source said the District police commander refuted the media report that the three personnel were fake military personnel and was also arrested from mining site as reported by a section of the media to Hon.Michael Donkor.
And that they were yet to get any evidence of the former DCE’s alleged harassing and extorting monies from illegal miners with fake Military Officers.
That one miner made a complaint against the former DCE and they instructed their personnel to station at Afoako junction to meet him and invite him and his entourage for questioning that was all.
Meanwhile, when former Amansie Central DCE, Hon.Nana Kwame Asamoah Boateng was contacted he said he referred the matter to his lawyers to act it
In a related development, our investigation desk has intercepted a letter which indicates that Nkomo Multimedia Services, the owners of Nkomo 91.7fm and NKOMO TV at Anwiankwanta near Bekwai, has retracted a story and rendered an unqualified apology to the former District Chief Executive(DCE),Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng .
The intercepted letter of retraction and apology to Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng dated 10th May,2023 and signed by the Programs Director,Portia Oppong.
The letter reads “Nkomo 91.7fm and NKOMO TV would like to apologize to Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng whose name we mentioned in our recent commentaries emanating from his detention on 3rd May,2023 at Jacobu Police station.
Hon.Asamoah Boateng’s Lawyers have drawn our attention to the fact that some allegations and comments we made against him on 4th May,2023 on our program(Anopa Bosuo) were not true and did not form part of the reasons for his detention.
We deeply regret the error and will hence correct the story on same medium.We hereby retract and undeservedly apologize to Hon.Kwame Asamoah Boateng for any harm caused him and pledge working to ensure that such missteps do not occur again”.Stay turned for further development!
