The Ministry of National Security has dismissed the allegations of the Hon. Yao Gomado, Member of Parliament for the Akan Constituency, who accused ministry operatives of deliberately causing the deaths of two individuals.
Accordign to the Ministry, the claims are ‘completely false’ and designed to advance a ‘narrow interest.’
In a statement, it explained the situation that led to the incident.
It disclosed that in October 2023, it launched an intelligence-based operation to stop cocoa smuggling along the Eastern Corridor, which covers the Akan Constituency, in partnership with COCOBOD.
The operation was a response to a rise in cocoa smuggling activities that affected sales to Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs).
As a result of the anti-smuggling measures, many people involved in smuggling activities were arrested, and a large quantity of confiscated cocoa beans were used as evidence for the prosecution of those detained.
The intensified operations also led to an increase in cocoa sales to LBCs, benefiting local farmers.
Unfortunately, on December 25, 2023, a vehicle from the anti-smuggling operations crashed into a motorcycle, killing two people on board.
The Ministry stressed that the incident was purely accidental. The Ghana Police Service have started a thorough investigation at the scene.
After the accident, some angry individuals in the Akan Constituenc damaged and burned the anti-smuggling operations vehicle. They wrongly believed that the deaths were intentional.
The Ministry expressed deep sorrow for the loss of the two lives and offered its sympathies to the grieving families.
The National Security Ministry advised the public to ignore the factual errors in the press release by MP Yao Gomado. It claimed it’s an attempt to create resentment for the ongoing anti-cocoa smuggling operation in the Constituency.
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