A farmer whose cocoa farm was used as a burial site for an illegal miner by police officers from the Mpohor District Police Command is demanding the immediate exhumation of the remains from his farm.
The deceased, Kwame Rasta, a galamseyer, fell into an abandoned illegal mining pit and lost his life. He was buried on January 17 at Nyame Na Onim in the Mpohor District of the Western Region.
In an exclusive interview, farmer Kwaku Kropa recounted the events of that day. He stated that he was away from his farm when he received a call from his caretaker, who oversees his rubber plantation. The caretaker informed him that a galamseyer working in the nearby river had lost his life.
According to the caretaker, the police and some opinion leaders from the Tumantu community retrieved the body and wanted to bury it on his farm.
He narrated that “My caretaker informed me that some police officers and elders from the chief’s palace wanted to bury the body on my farm, citing that the condition of the body made it impossible to take to the mortuary. I refused, but my caretaker told me that the police threatened to leave the body on my farm if I didn’t comply.”
“I asked why, but they continued pressuring me. Feeling coerced, I relented, thinking the police wouldn’t follow through. However, three days later, I discovered they had indeed buried the body on my farm. I’m dismayed by the police’s actions, and I demand they exhume the body, as my farm is not a cemetery.”
To gain a deeper understanding, our news team spoke with Kwame Ahanta, a local farmer who assisted the police in retrieving the body from the illegal mining pit. He shared his account of the events, providing valuable insight into the incident.
“What happened was that during that week, the illegal miners were operating here. I heard a loud noise, so I came to investigate. As I approached, I met one of the miners crying.”
“I asked him why, and he told me someone had fallen into the pit and died. I didn’t know about the incident since I don’t frequently use this route to my farm. He asked me to take a look, and when I got closer, I saw a dead body floating in the water-filled pit.
“I advised him to inform our community leader to witness the scene, as we didn’t want to touch the body and risk being implicated during the police investigation.”
“The community leader came, and we discussed who owned the site. I told him it belonged to Kojo Budo from Agona Nkwanta, who operates the site through Iddrisu.
“When Iddrisu arrived, he confirmed that the deceased, Kwame Rasta, was brought from the northern part of the country to work with them. According to Iddrisu, Kwame Rasta and the others started working on Wednesday, January 15. After closing, Kwame Rasta returned to work alone in the evening, when the incident occurred.”
Kwame Ahanta provided a detailed account of the events that led to the decision to bury the deceased on the farm.
“After Iddrisu confirmed knowing the deceased, I asked him about the next steps. He suggested we inform Kropa, the cocoa farm owner, who would then notify the Mpohor police station. Iddrisu later arrived with eight police officers.”
“Upon arrival, they asked us to show them the body, took pictures, and observed the decomposition and marks on the deceased’s face and shoulder.”
“We asked the police and Iddrisu what to do next. Iddrisu said he would call the Safohen of Whindo, a task force member who collects money from the illegal miners. Interestingly, after calling Kojo Budo, he refused to come and witness the incident.
“After retrieving the body, I suggested taking it to the palace for the chief to witness and document for future evidence. However, that didn’t happen. Instead, the police ordered us to bury the body on the spot. We dug a hole and buried him.” He explained.
To delve deeper into the spiritual implications, the news team sought the expertise of Assakae Busuapayin Nana Kojo Sackey, a revered traditional leader.
“After learning about the illegal miner’s fatal accident, we expected the body to be taken to Whindo, Assakae, or Tumantu for burial. However, we were shocked to discover that he was buried on Kropa’s cocoa farm, despite Kropa’s objections.”
“The presence of police officers during the burial raises questions, as standard procedure dictates that the body should be taken to the mortuary and efforts made to locate the deceased’s relatives.”
“In our tradition, failure to perform proper burial rituals poses a significant risk. Furthermore, the burial site’s proximity to the Nkwer River, which may serve as a water source for nearby villages after these illegal miners left the site is alarming.”
“The river’s water quality may be compromised, posing a threat to the health of communities in Mpohor, Assakae, Tumantu, and beyond.”
The news team sought out Superintendent William Gyamfi, the District Commander of the Mpohor District Police Command, to get the police’s side of the story. However, Gyamfi claimed he was unaware of the incident and asked for time to investigate.
This response raises more questions, especially considering the accounts of Kwame Ahanta, an eyewitness who helped the police retrieve the body, and Kwaku Kropa, the owner of the cocoa farm where the body was buried. Both of their accounts point to police involvement in the burial of Kwame Rasta on the cocoa farm.