Family Petitions Atiwa West DCE Over Police Handling of Alleged Illegal Mining Case

By: Samuel Asamoah 

The children and grandchildren of the late Nene Emmanuel Chartey have petitioned the Atiwa West District Chief Executive, accusing the Atiwa West District Police Commander of mishandling an alleged illegal mining case involving their family land at Ekoso-Se in the Eastern Region.

The petitioners are demanding an investigation into the commander’s conduct, alleging that the police have delayed prosecuting a suspect arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal mining on their land.

According to the petition dated July 29, 2026, the family reported the alleged illegal miner to the Abomosu Police on July 25 after discovering that portions of their land had been destroyed through suspected galamsey activities. The suspect was subsequently arrested.

However, the family claims the Atiwa West District Police Commander has refused to proceed with the criminal case unless they produce land documents belonging to their great-grandfather to prove ownership of the property.

The petitioners argue that the demand is unjustified because the police did not require the suspect to produce a valid mining licence, permit or any legal authorization to operate on the land. They contend that the burden of proving ownership has been unfairly shifted to the victims instead of determining whether the suspect had lawful authority to carry out mining activities.

The family further alleges that the suspected illegal miner has caused extensive damage to the property and has threatened members of the family with death, creating fear and insecurity among the landowners. They maintain that disputes over land ownership should be determined by the courts where necessary and should not be used to delay criminal proceedings relating to alleged illegal mining.

In the petition, the family is calling for an independent investigation into the conduct of the Atiwa West District Police Commander, the immediate prosecution of the suspect without unnecessary delays, and an order compelling the alleged miner to produce any valid mining licence or authorization under which he claims to be operating.

They are also requesting security protection for affected family members who have reportedly received death threats and an inspection of the damaged land to facilitate the necessary environmental and legal action.

Copies of the petition have been forwarded to the Eastern Regional Minister, the Inspector-General of Police, the Eastern South Regional Police Commander, the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), with the petitioners urging the relevant authorities to intervene and ensure justice is served.

The allegations contained in the petition are those of the petitioners and have not yet been independently verified. The Atiwa West District Police Command had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication.