The tragic incident, which has left residents of Abrense in shock, reportedly occurred during a funeral wake-keeping event in the community.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the deceased was alleged to have engaged in a heated confrontation with some commercial sex workers after accusing one of them of stealing GH¢1,000 from him.

Sources reveal that Yaw Asamoah had gone to a popular local drinking spot known as “K.K. Spot,” where several commercial sex workers usually operated.

After allegedly engaging one of them in sexual activity, he realised his money was missing and demanded its return.

However, his accusation was met with strong resistance, leading to a bitter argument between him and the women present.

Eyewitnesses recounted that the confrontation became tense, drawing the attention of other people at the wake-keeping.

Later that night, Yaw Asamoah could not be found, prompting suspicion among residents.

Two days later, his lifeless body was discovered in an abandoned mining pit close to the community, heightening public outrage and fear.

Atobiase electoral area, Samuel Yeboah, and a brother of the deceased, speaking to journalists, expressed deep grief over the incident.

He appealed to the police and all relevant authorities to intensify investigations to ensure that justice was served.

Mr Yeboah described his late brother as a humble and hardworking young man whose life was cut short under suspicious circumstances.

He urged community members to cooperate fully with the police by providing any information that could help bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Manso Nkwanta police have confirmed the arrest of two suspects believed to be connected to the case, and they are currently in custody, assisting with investigations.

Police sources indicated that the suspects’ statements were being thoroughly reviewed as part of ongoing efforts to unravel the circumstances leading to the death of Yaw Asamoah.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been deposited at the morgue for preservation and autopsy.

The police have assured the public and the bereaved family that justice would prevail, and anyone found culpable would face the full rigors of the law.

The tragic death of Yaw Asamoah has reignited concerns about security and illegal activities within parts of the Amansie West District, with many residents calling for increased police patrols and stronger community vigilance to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Source: GNA

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“I didn’t like what happened at Tontokrom and Mpatuam. If there is any misunderstanding, bring forth your concerns. Don’t resort to protests.Because of this, Manso is gaining a negative reputation. The works here a few. I will beseech the traditional leaders to speak with the youth that if they have any worries they should come to us,”

He continued that: “If we rather have patience and voice our concerns it would yield positive outcomes. We should meet and have dialogues that fighting each other”.

The Manso traditional area has in recent years witnessed the youth revolting against gold mining company, Asanko Gold Ghana, over possession of portions of the mine’s concessions. 



They claimed the mine’s existence in the area has not yielded the needed developmental benefits and job opportunities. 

He urged the residents to cease the attacks and resort to dialogue with the traditional council to settle the tensions. 



The newly commissioned multipurpose community centre, worth over 2.3 million cedis, is a modern, fully furnished facility constructed to serve as a central hub for knowledge sharing, cultural exchange, community gatherings, training and development programmes. 



The facility, fully funded by Asanko Gold Ghana, through its Social Responsibility Foundation (SRF) Development Fund is part of the mine’s broader multi-sectoral corporate social responsibility agenda. 



Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah II pushed for more critical investments for communal development that would promote peace and stability in the area. 


“When there is a company in your area, it is your responsibility to protect the interests of the business. Whatever you do as a company, you should always think about the community and how to improve the livelihoods,” he noted. 



Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Asanko Gold Ghana, Dr. Charles Amoah, highlighted plans to ensure peaceful coexistence between the mine and community folks.



“We are not running the operation in a vacuum. There will always be a misunderstanding. But our operation is to use a dialogue to resolve any misunderstanding. We will endeavour to carry the community along to let them appreciate what we stand for, and what they also stand so that together we will deliver alongside our vision,” he noted. 



Dr. Amoah reaffirmed Asanko’s long term commitment to responsible mining, transparency, and mutual decision making. 



He emphasized that the company would continue to implement impactful initiatives, including scholarship schemes, women’s empowerment programmes, and agricultural support projects to enhance livelihoods in host communities.



“Despite challenges in the mining sector, Asanko remains committed to creating lasting value for our shareholders and host communities, recognizing them as true partners in progress,” he assured.



Amansie South District Chief Executive, Benjamin Marfo, lauded Asanko Gold for its leadership in corporate social responsibility and described the new centre as a symbol of collaboration, resilience, and renewed hope for the district.

According to him, bad roads in Manso have not received enough attention, leading to people’s disinterest.

Speaking to the media after submitting his forms for the upcoming NPP parliamentary primary, Fredrick Nkansah said the time has come for Manso Nkwanta to benefit from construction of good roads.

He believes that, the NPP’s diminished appeal in Manso Nkwanta is primarily due to the absence development projects in the area.

“Some time ago, the NPP was very powerful in our town because people liked the party, but now they don’t because our own town lacks development, they feel the party isn’t doing much for us,” he said.

Frederick Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Yentumi, believes he is the right person to lead the NPP in the Manso Nkwanta Constituency to bring development to the area.

“I will help to complete the developmental works that has delayed in our town,” he said.

Mr. Nkansah said the NPP will unite to garner more votes in the area in December 2024 if he is given the mandate.

“The party delegates, elders in the party, and I will join forces to make our party stronger and move it forward” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the NPP Constituency Chairman for Manso Nkwanta, Owusu Mensah, said five people have picked their forms to contest the primaries.

 “The problem isn’t the candidates, but their followers. They should behave decently, We’re all in this together, and once it’s over, we’ll return to our normal lives so they shouldn’t insult or try to start fights”, he said.

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Responding to questions by his constituents on Akoma FM, on the lack of development in the area, the MP was not happy that some people want him to die to pave the way for a bye-election, which to them will see massive development in the area.

In recent times, many people have prayed for their MP to die to ensure development in their area.

They make mention of the level of quick developments in constituencies where there would be by-elections.

Calling into the show, some of the constituents at Manso-Nkwanta prayed for their MP to die in order to merit development.

They argued that such unfortunate events would allegedly pave the way for the much-needed developmental projects in their respective communities.

Citing the recent bye-elections at Kumawu and Assin North as an example, they claimed that the NPP in their bid to secure votes for their party’s candidates, initiated road construction and development projects following the passing of Philip Atta Basoah and the deposition of James Gyakye Quayson respectively.

In a phone-in contribution, Kumawu callers contended that had the MP not passed away, the constituency would have been neglected in terms of infrastructural development.

“We saw them bringing a grader to clear the road for construction, so I asked myself that if the MP had not died, would to road be constructed? Then it clicked to me that anybody whose MP is an NPP member should pray to God to kill the person. “

They further questioned why such projects were not undertaken while the representative was alive, rather than exploiting his death as a catalyst for progress.

Responding to them, the Manso-Nkwanta MP, George Takyi, was not happy about their statements and assured them that he is doing everything possible to improve on the infrastructural facilities in his constituency.

He mentioned that roads from Pakyi No. 1 and No. 2 have been given on contract and that the contractor will resume work soon.

Areas like Manso-Nkwanta, Antoakrom and others will soon be worked on, he assured.

He said it is not fair to wish someone dead to pave way for development but the government is doing everything possible to fix the bad roads and other facilities.

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In a bombshell report by the former Minister, Mr Quarm is accused of using his position as a member of the Minerals Commission to acquire several dozens of large-scale concessions in his district, ostensibly for community mining purposes.

The report adds that the MP “ended up selling these concessions to private individuals, including party members for two hundred thousand Cedis per concession. This infuriated the party in the constituency so during the 2020 primaries to select a candidate the electorate voted against Mr. Quarm, the sitting MP, who was more resourced than other candidates. Although there were allegations that he ‘camped’ delegates and attempted to bribe them, he lost to a lesser known individual who did not have any financial muscle.”

But speaking on Citi FM on Thursday, Mr Quarm described the claims in the report as “lies” and an attempt to tarnish his image. He called on Professor Frimpong-Boateng to apologise and retract the claims in the report or will be forced to take the issue to court.

“This is most unfortunate and this is a total lie. I do not own a concession and while I don’t own a concession, how can I sell a concession? To me, once he has not accepted that the report is from him, I can’t say much but if the report is from him, then for a mining concession, there must be documents covering it bearing my name. I will advise that your station should request from him all documents bearing my name.

“I don’t even own a pin of a concession, let alone several… I don’t have any concessions. If he confirms that it is from him, I will let my lawyers write to him to demand retraction and apology, and I will advise myself,” Mr Quarm said.

The signed 37-page report also accused some NPP bigwigs who hired the services of Chinese nationals to engage in galamsey on their behalf.

“Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President’s commitment to protect the environment. I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the National to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers or relatives engaged in illegal mining.

“Most of them engaged Chinese working for them. I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do. There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace,” Prof. Frimpong-Boateng alleged in his report.

The operation, which took place on Friday at Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region, saw the destruction of mining equipment as well as their sheds.

The group, led by their President, Michael Kwadwo Peprah, stormed the site of the Chinese who they claimed were situated by a river in the area.

A video from the operation intercepted by adomonline.com captured the Chinese looking on helpless as their property were destroyed.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Midday News, Kasiebo is Tasty, infuriated Mr Preprah accused the government of being selective with the burning of mining equipment, hence their decision.

He claimed equipment of their members operating near rivers have been burnt while the foreigners have been exempted.

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“They are still working in this area while we have been asked to stop work which we won’t allow… They find a way to get to Asarekrom to carry out their activities,” he fumed.

According to him, they will resist every attempt, particularly in the Amansie West District for the Chinese to operate while the source of livelihood of locals has been cut off.

The former Minerals Commission board member said he has offered his whole life in fighting the menace and will be glad to see it end.

“I lost elections because of my fight against illegal mining and Akufo-Addo also suffered the same fate in mining areas in the 2020 election but no matter the situation, we have to end the illegal mining menace now,” he charged.

He made the pledge on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, while reiterating the havoc wreaked in Ghana through illegal mining.

“The issue of illegal mining is a big and serious thing but it takes a great leader to fight it and I believe Akufo-Addo will end it,” he said.

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Though Mr Quarm acknowledged mining at large was a source of livelihood for many families in Ghana, he added mining activities cannot destabilize the country and rights of others.

“It is not as if we are irritated by the work of miners but some are deliberately causing havoc in our farm lands and other natural resources instead of going through the right processes to acquire licenses,” he lamented.

“We are also just hearing about the Information Minister’s statement for the first time, but no directive or communication has come from either the Inspector-General of Police or the Minister for the Interior,” Head of the Police Public Affairs Directorate, ACP David Eklu, told the Daily Graphic.

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The government on Monday recommended to the Ghana Police Service to interdict 21 policemen who were allegedly involved in the killing of seven young men at Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region for suspected armed robbery.

The recommendation by the government for their interdiction follows a report submitted by a fact-finding committee, which cleared the deceased of any crime.

According to him, the publication of the report will put to rest claims and accusations by the police that the deceased persons were armed robbers.

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The MP has also called for the prosecution of the 21 police personnel found to be principal suspects in the killing of some seven men at Manso-Nkwanta in the Ashanti region.

A livid Hon. Muntaka Mubarak said subjecting the suspects to a formal police criminal investigation will not yield any results.

Hon Muntaka’s comment follows the findings of the committee set up to investigate the matter which found no evidence to establish that the seven persons were armed robbers.

A statement issued by the Information Ministry said: “There were no facts before the committee to establish that the deceased persons were armed robbers who engaged in exchange of fire with the Police”.

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The statement also said aside the families of the victims being compensated; it also charged the police to interdict the 21 police personnel involved in the incident.

But Hon. Muntaka on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Tuesday maintained that the police dealing with its own personnel amount to a conflict of interest.

“If you leave it to the police administration, I bet you, it will not get anywhere and won’t serve the interest of anybody,” he stated.

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The Asawase MP bemoaned the incessant killing of civilians by some unprofessional police personnel.

The police service is a very useful tool but there are bad nuts within so we must use this opportunity to rid the police of them. They must be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others,” he noted.

The statement signed by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, reported the findings from a fact-finding committee which was set up to look into the killings that sparked violence in Manso Nkwanta, the capital of the Amansie West District.

“There were no facts before the committee to establish that the deceased persons were armed robbers who engaged in an exchange of fire with the Police,” the statement read.

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Below is Government’s statement on the issue:

STATEMENT ON SHOOTING INCIDENT AT MANSO NKWANTA IN THE AMANSIE WEST DISTRICT

Following a shooting incident at Manso-Nkwanta within the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region on July 17, 2018 resulting in the death of seven (7) persons, Government established a five (5) Member fact-finding committee to look into the matter.

1) The membership of the fact-finding committee was as follows:

a) Justice Obeng Diawuo – Justice of the High Court

b) Rt. Rev. Prof. Osei-Safo Kantanka – Pastor Methodist Bishop

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c) Sheik Ahmed Siedu – Executive Secretary, Office of the Ashanti
Regional Chief Imam

d) Mr David Adu-Osei – Ashanti Regional BNI Commander

e) Mrs Emelia Ayebenu Botchway – Ag. Ashanti Regional Coordinating Director

2) The committee has since completed its work and submitted its report to Government.

3) According to the report, there were no facts before the committee to establish that the deceased persons were armed robbers who engaged in exchange of fire with the Police.

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4) Government upon a careful study of the report, has decided as follows;

a) the twenty-one (21) police personnel involved in the incident who have been found to be the principal suspects be interdicted by the Police administration and be subjected to formal police criminal investigation into the matter.

b) in the interim, Government in consultation with the families and community leaders will provide support for the dependents of the deceased persons.

5) Government assures the general public that due process will be followed in the pursuit of justice and calls for continued calm and patience pending a conclusive determination of the matter

The burial took place after the family of Abdul-Hanan Bashir requested the corpse from the morgue when they were informed the autopsy report was ready.

The Muslim prayer for the 33-year-old was led by the regional Cheif Imam, Sheikh Abdul-Mumin Harun, and it took place at the Kumasi central mosque with heavy military presence.

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Seven people were shot dead by the police near Anhwiakwanta on the Kumasi-Obuasi road last month on suspicion that they were armed robbers.

A statement by the acting Chief of the Zongo (or predominantly Hausa-speaking community) in Kumasi, Ahmed Rufai said the seven are well-known members of their community denying any claims they were robbers.

“We appeal to everyone to remain calm and refrain from any activity that will escalate the tension and grief that has again befallen our community,” it added.

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But violence erupted in Asawase between the youth of the community and the police leading to the firing of tear gas to disperse a spontaneous crowd protesting the fatal shooting.

The youths from Zongo communities gathered to demonstrate their displeasure after a government delegation arrived the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, to deliberate on the charged matter of reckless police shooting at Manso Nkwanta.

The refrain at the burial grounds of Abdul-Hanan still remains the same as the family called for justice for the innocent souls.

According to the family, they cannot allow the body of their beloved to be waiting in the morgue once the committee set by government has taken relevant information from the body.

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