Soldiers have no right to burn excavators – Gbevlo Lartey

Former National Security Coordinator, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Larry Gbevlo Lartey has said soldiers used in the fight against galamsey do not have the right to punish offenders.

According to him, all the officers can do is to prevent the menace of illegal mining and cause the arrest of people involved.

Making this view known in a post shared on social media, he said, “My view might not matter. In any case, the Law Enforcement Agencies are there to prevent and arrest. They are not to punish. It is the law courts that punish. When Law Enforcement punishes, they incur the scorn of the courts. The award of judgement debts could be a telling consequence.”

The government of Ghana has stepped up its effort at arresting illegal mining which has destroyed the country’s forest reserve and water bodies.

There is currently a war against illegal mining and the Military is leading the charge to ensure that galamsey is kicked out of the system.