The Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw-Kotei, has raised serious concerns after 33 excavators seized during an anti-galamsey operation went missing while in police custody.
In an interview on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei, who is also the National Women’s Organiser for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), explained that 40 excavators were handed over to the Police for safekeeping due to the lack of a lowbed vehicle to transport the equipment from the galamsey sites.
However, when her team returned the following morning, only seven excavators remained.
“We handed over 40 seized excavators to the police, but when we came back the next morning, only seven were left. I was not happy with the situation and confronted the Police Commander about it. The seven we retrieved are currently in custody,” she disclosed.
Reflecting on the incident, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei said she now ensures every operation is fully prepared to prevent such occurrences. She remains committed to the fight against illegal mining, noting that operations have become more dangerous with recent ambushes and gunfire incidents.
“We now include experts in our operations for safety and effectiveness,” she added.
ALSO READ:
