The head pastor and founder of Blessing of Christ Ministry at Gyasikrom near Enchi in the Western Region, Isaac Twumasi and three other suspected armed robbers have been arrested by the police.
The police have however mounted a search for three others, who are on the run.
They have been named as Andrews Boama, Joe Joe and Peter Adu.
Those arrested in addition to Pastor Twumasi are Augustine Kwame, 20, an illegal miner (galamsey), Kofi Abanga, 24, a farmer and Samuel Atongo, 22, also an illegal miner (galamsey).
The suspects led the police to their various homes where the photographs of Andrews, whose is one of the three on the run were retrieved.
The gang of seven robbers who had laid ambush mistook a police night patrol vehicle for that of some Chinese gold miners, who were supposed to be conveying money on the route.
They reportedly engaged the police in a gun battle that led to the death of one of the suspected robbers at dawn on Monday April 10, 2017.
The seven member gang, armed with pump-action guns mistook the police unbranded white patrol vehicle to be that of the Chinese miners.
The miners were said to be returning from the bank in their preparation to vacate their operations as the war on illegal mining activities intensifies in the country.
The police told Daily Graphic that the ‘pastor” was not at the scene of the incident but their investigations led to his arrest.
The police said, after the exchange of gunfire, they were able to arrest two, Augustine Kwame, 20 an illegal miner (galamsey) and Kofi Abanga, 24, a farmer.
The two led the police to the village where Samuel Atongo, 22, an illegal miner (galamsey) was arrested along with Pastor Twumasi.
Atongo sustained gunshot wounds when the police arrived, Pastor Twumasi was nursing his wounds.
When contacted, the Enchi District Police Commander, Superintendent Raymond Kofi Erzuah said those arrested confessed that they assumed the police vehicle was one of the leaders of Chinese miners who was supposed to be returning from the bank with money at about the same time the police got there to pay their workers, therefore they decided to launch the attack.
He said after the arrest, the other three who are currently at large retreated but managed to carry their comrade Samuel Atongo with gunshot wound on the face to a village called Gyasikrom near Enchi, where “Pastor” Isaac Twumasi had prepared herbal concoction awaiting his arrival for treatment.
He said with the assistance of Sewuam Custom officers in Enchi and neighborhood watch committee members, who led the police to the church to arrest the pastor who was busy attending to the wounded Atongo.
source: Daily Graphic
