Newmont(NEM); one killed, 3 shot in Ghana
NEW ABIREM: TUESDAY, 8 NOV 2005, POLICE KILL, INJURE THREE
New Abirem (E/R), Nov. 8, GNA - Police shot and killed one farmer and injured three others at New Abirem in the Brim North District of Eastern Region on November 2, when they went in defence of Newmont Gold Limited.
The victims were among a group of farmers, who were demanding that the right method must be used in calculating compensation for their cocoa and other economic trees that would be destroyed by Newmont Gold Ghana Limited in their concession.
The victims were identified as ff:
Yaw Manu, 35, died on admission at Holy Family Hospital, Nkawkaw.
Anthony Arthur, 28 Shot and injured, admitted.
Kwaku Awentenga, 20 Shot and injured, treated and discharged.
Yaw Boateng, 23 Shot and injured, treated and discharged.
A meeting between Newmont and the Chief and people of the town a day earlier was deadlocked as Newmont insisted on using the acreage method to calculate compensation to be paid whilst the people had demanded that the number of trees must be counted and paid for at an agreed price per tree.
Narrating the Police version of the incident to the GNA in Koforidua on Tuesday, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Reynolds K. Kwakye said the Police Regional Headquarters received a call from an official of the Newmont Mining Company at New Abirem that the youth of the town had erected blockades on all roads in the town and were preventing vehicles and workers of the Company from passing to their offices and work sites.
He said three police teams were dispatched to the town from the ff:
Koforidua
Akyem Oda
Nkawkaw
Ofoase
to restore law and order.
Mr. Reynolds K. Kwakye said a five-man Police team from nearby Ofoase were the first to reach the town but had to park at the outskirts because of the barricades and walked to the town.
He said on seeing the approaching Policemen, the demonstrators moved towards them and the Police fired, killing one and injuring two. Mr. Reynolds K. Kwakye said when the other Police reinforcement teams arrived in the town they managed to remove the barriers and restored law and order. On the background to the mob action, he said a day earlier the Chiefs and people of the town had gathered to discuss the deadlock between them and Newmont on its proposed payment of compensation of ¢15 million to ¢31 million per acre of destroyed oil palm trees and cocoa trees, respectively, within its concession.
AI
