The key suspect in the Axim galamsey drama seems to have gained a lot of money from the supposed responsibilities handed to him by the Axim police.
Kwame Ato Asare Ani claims that since he is familiar with all illicit mining or galamsey sites in the region, the police hired him to bring them to galamsey sites on a regular basis in order to extort money from illegal miners.
The lead suspect, who lives in Gwira Kwekukrom in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region, alleges that he is also constructing an 86-bedroom hotel in the municipality.
This was revealed by the alleged suspect in many interviews.
He ordered that all schools be closed.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Kwame Ato Asare once ordered the closure of various schools in the rural community due to the theft of a mobile phone.
Dorcas Amoah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Nzema East Municipal Assembly, revealed this shocking disclosure.
She said that the first time she heard about Kwame Ato Asare Ani was when the accused lead suspect and his ‘guys’ rushed the funeral grounds to cause a disturbance.
She said that the gang boss was apprehended at the time and that the case is still ongoing in court.
“But I got involved in the case because most of the settler farmers were Northerners, and they reported the case to me,” she added.
She said that during the turmoil at the burial grounds, the accused key suspect’s phone went missing. He then threatened that if people who took his phone did not return it, no kid in the vicinity would be allowed to attend school.
The involvement of the Educational Director, REGSEC, instructors, and community stakeholders, according to the MCE, was required to bring the situation under control before pupils could attend school.
She elaborated: “I had to come in and later went to the community where the incident happened with the Educational Director, REGSEC, and all heads of department to meet with teachers of the schools.”
She said that this was due to instructors’ fear, as well as parents’ refusal to allow their children to attend school.
The MCE said that Kwame Ato Asare Ani had been given bail after his detention and was thus present for the meeting, adding “That was when I got to know him.”
“So we discussed the issue and we were able to resolve it, and the children were able to go to school now,” she noted.
Meanwhile, the alleged primary suspect, who is on the police wanted list, has disputed the Police Service’s assertions that he is an armed robber.
He insisted that he is not an armed robber, but rather a police informant in the Axim neighborhood.
Background
The gang boss was seen accosting a police officer and accused the officer of wanting to arrest him after he had paid him money in a viral video.
The Ghana Police Service issued a statement in response to the video, stating that it detained four persons on March 28, 2023 after the Axim Divisional Police Patrol Team reported a gang assault on them.
The police also conducted a search at the home of Kwame Ato Asare Ani, where guns and other materials were discovered.
According to the statement, the accusation of extortion by the suspected assailants has been sent to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for further investigation.
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