Amenfi West DCE Refutes Bribery Allegation

The District Chief Executive for Amenfi West in the Western Region, Victor Samuel Meisu, has strongly denied allegations of taking a GHC 70,000 bribe (protection money) and called the bluff of Bernard Atnwi-Boasiako, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hansol Mining Company Limited to �take the matter anywhere if you think I received the money�. According to him, the CEO of Hansol Mining Company has been inconsistent in his allegation of bribery and has mentioned the names of several people he claims to have given the money to. �Hansol has heaped allegations on many people including the President and many others. He claims someone came for the money, in one breath he says I came for the money and in the same breath he claims to have given the money to Chairman. So I don�t know what he is talking about again,� he told AdomFM. Hon. Meisu, however insisted that neither has he taken any money directly from Honsol Company Limited nor has sent anyone to take money on his behalf. Mr. Miesu is the second state official to have been accused of allegedly taking bribe from miners after the Municipal Chief Executive for Upper Denkyira East in the Central region, Peter Kofi Owusu Ashia, was last week arrested together with some immigration officials by the Inter-ministerial taskforce instituted to clamp down on illegal mining, otherwise known as �galamsey� mining. The Hansol MD claims that his company issued cheques for GH�20,000, GH�20,000 and GH�30,000 which were withdrawn by Asankragua NDC Chairman Mr. Kusi, on the 3rd of June 2013, at the Premier Barclays Bank in Asankragua. Though both the DCE and the NDC Chairman have flatly denied the bribery allegation, Mr. Kusi however admits going taking money from the Hansol Company but said it was meant for the fulfillment of a business transaction he had with the mining company.