The NDC is demanding the release of Concerned Small Scale Miners’ president who was picked by the police on Saturday.
Some members of the National Democratic Congress stormed the Nima Police Station in Accra to demand his release.
Michael Kwadwo Peprah is said to have been picked up on Saturday, August 29, 2020, by the Cyber Crime Unit of the Central Police in Kumasi for allegedly causing fear and panic in a Facebook post.
He was subsequently transported to Accra.
There are claims that Mr. Peprah was arrested on the orders of the Minister of Environment Science and Technology, Professor Frimpong Boateng.
The National Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi described the action as intimidation by the Akufo-Addo government when he engaged the media at the Nima Police Station where Michael Kwadwo Peprah is currently being kept.
“This morning we got information that the president of Concerned Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana has been arrested by officers belonging to the Cybercrime Unit of the Ghana Police Service in the Ashanti Region. We understand that he was detained at the Ashanti Regional Office and this morning transported to the Nima Police Station. We’ve spoken to him and he tells us that he was arrested yesterday at 3 pm in Kumasi and was not told the reason for his arrest. His phones were seized and taken to his house and a search was conducted.”
“We have gathered information that he was arrested over a post he made on his Facebook wall ahead of the Association’s planned press conference to compare the NPP’s manifesto and that of the NDC on the issue of small scale mining. Our sources at the Cyber Crime Unit tell us this arrest was on the orders of the Minister of Environment, Prof Frimpong Boateng who is not happy at how the association of small scale miners led by Mr. Preprah has exposed the criminal galamsey he has been supervising and we see this as clear intimidation by the Akufo-Addo administration,” Sammy Gyamfi added.
Mr. Gyamfi further called on all other civil society organisations to speak up and condemn the action being meted out to Mr. Peprah.
“We humbly entreat the media and CSOs to follow this matter and give it the attention it deserves.”
Sammy Gyamfi in an earlier statement condemned the arrest and described it as shameful.
