News
Student, 20, dies in galamsey pit
The dusty mining town of Manso Akwasiso in the Amansie South District of Ashanti is heavy with grief.
On Tuesday, February 17, the life of a 20-year-old, Evans Allotey—a student, son, and miner—was cut short in a way that has left his community shaken and angry.
Evans, a second-year student at Okomfo Anokye Senior High School, had joined friends at a small-scale mining site when soldiers stormed the area.
Witnesses say the military arrived in three pickups, firing live rounds to disperse miners. In the chaos, Evans fled. His escape ended in tragedy when he stumbled into a deep galamsey pit.
“He could have been saved,” one miner recalled bitterly. “We tried to reach him, but the soldiers fired warning shots to keep us away. We watched him die.”
For residents, the pain is not only in the loss of a promising young man but in the manner of his death.
The Assembly Member of the area, Nsiah Kesse, condemned the soldiers’ actions, calling them “unacceptable” and accused them of overseeing Evans’s death. He further alleged that the military in the area has been deployed for land reclamation at nearby Manso Nyankomase.
The outrage spilled onto the streets as aggrieved residents staged a demonstration on last Wednesday (February 18) to register their displeasure.
Joining them was Nana Kwakye Gyimah Yeboah II, Chief of Akwasiso, who appealed directly to the government, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Minister for the Interior to intervene to end the harassment, restore calm, and deliver justice.
“This is not just about Evans,” the Chief said. “It is about the fear that grips our people every time soldiers arrive. It is about dignity, about the right to live without intimidation,” he lamented.
The death of Evans Allotey, the Chief noted, “is not just one family’s pain. It has become a reminder of the uneasy relationship between local communities and the soldiers sent to control mining.”
He said, “the town is waiting. People want answers. We want justice for Evans. And above all, want peace so life can go on without fear.”
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
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Minister for Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has dismissed claims that staff salaries at the Presidency have increased under the current administration, describing the allegation as a “flat lie”.
In a response to a post on Facebook, Ofosu Kwakye said the current staff at the Presidency inherited the same salaries and conditions approved for their predecessors.
He argued that once arrears owed to former Article 71 office holders are paid, the total wage bill for the current administration will actually be lower due to a reduction in staff numbers.
“It is in fact a mathematical certainty that the total amount paid in salaries to the current staff will be smaller compared to yours once your arrears are paid because of the reduction in numbers,” he stated.
The Minister noted that delays in paying arrears to past Article 71 office holders are not new.
“Arrears owed to past Article 71 office holders is nothing new or unheard of. Many others before you have suffered same,” he said.
Ofosu Kwakye also stressed that the salaries and conditions in question were approved by Parliament on 6th January 2025, under the previous government.
He pointed out that the Constitution bars any changes to those salaries until a new committee is set up to determine emoluments for Article 71 office holders under the new administration.
“No such committee has been set up by President Mahama and no alteration has been made,” he clarified.
“So on what basis, apart from pure lies and mischief, can a claim of ballooning be made?” he concluded.
The response follows public debate over the size and cost of the presidential staff, with critics alleging a spike in the wage bill.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, has initiated plea negotiations with the Attorney General’s office in the GH₵30 million Exim Bank fraud case.
Information available to ghanaiantimes.com.gh indicates that lawyers for Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi & 2 other accused have formally written to the Attorney General to enter into plea negotiations on the charges of defrauding by false pretenses, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body.
A plea bargain, under Section 162C of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1079), allows an accused person to plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for a reduced sentence.
The agreement must be approved by the court after the Attorney General assesses factors such as the strength of evidence, recovery of state funds, and public interest.
Wontumi is facing four counts after his arrest by the Economic and Organised Crime Office in May 2025.
Prosecutors allege he used forged documents to secure a GH₵30 million facility from the Ghana Export-Import Bank to finance equipment for his mining company, Akonta Mining Ltd.
The state further charges him with money laundering and causing financial loss to the state.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and was granted GH₵50 million bail with two sureties. The case is currently before the Accra High Court.
The Attorney General’s office is yet to confirm whether negotiations will proceed.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
