🇬🇭GhanaWest Africa
Three arrested in police operation against illegal mining near Ghana Water Company facility in Effutu
via GhanaWeb2 min read
Three suspected illegal miners, Eugene Oppong, Paul Kumash, and Amos Beyuo, were arrested during a police operation targeting illegal mining activities near the Ghana Water Company Limited main transmission line at Effutu in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The operation, conducted by the Central Regional Police Command on June 8, 2026, followed a petition from GWCL Cape Coast regarding illegal mining, locally known as galamsey, close to their water infrastructure. Authorities warned that these activities threatened water quality, public health, and the water supply system for residents in Cape Coast and surrounding communities. During the operation, several other miners fled into nearby bushes. Police seized and destroyed equipment including 19 water pumping machines, four washing carpets, seven cutlasses, and a wheelbarrow. Heavy machinery and makeshift structures were immobilized and set ablaze. The arrested suspects are in police custody assisting with investigations, and efforts are underway to locate those who escaped. This operation is part of ongoing efforts by the Ghana Police Service to combat illegal mining and protect national infrastructure.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
Must ReadSedina Tamakloe Attionu, former Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, was extradited from the United States and arrived in Ghana on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence. She was handed over to the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Immigration Service at Accra International Airport. Attionu was convicted in absentia in April 2024, alongside former Chief Operating Officer Daniel Axim, for causing a financial loss of GH¢90 million to the state. Following her arrival, details of an appeal filed on February 10, 2026, seeking to overturn her conviction and sentence have emerged. The appeal challenges her conviction on multiple charges, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering, arguing that the charge sheet violated Article 192d of the 1992 Constitution by not clearly stating specific acts or omissions. Her legal team also cited previous Supreme Court and Court of Appeal decisions regarding defective particulars of offences. Attionu's legal troubles began in 2017 after an investigation by the Economic and Organised Crime Office EOCO revealed alleged fraudulent fund disbursements during her tenure. She was accused of embezzling GH¢3.19 million and causing a deliberate financial loss of GH¢1.97 million, as well as making unauthorized commitments totaling GH¢61.74 million. Specific accusations include misappropriating GH¢500,000 from Obaatanpa Micro-Finance Company Limited, misusing GH¢1,816,000 allocated
Must ReadSedina Tamakloe-Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre MASLOC, has been extradited from the United States to Ghana. She arrived at Accra International Airport on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, aboard United Airlines flight UA 996, and was immediately taken into custody by security officials. Her extradition follows a 10-year prison sentence handed down by the Accra High Court in 2024, after she was convicted in absentia for offenses including causing financial loss to the state and stealing. The court found that her actions as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016 resulted in a loss of almost GH¢90 million. The extradition process began in 2025, culminating in a US District Court in Nevada certifying Ghana's request in April 2026, finding probable cause for her conviction on 25 counts of stealing, 20 counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, and four counts of money laundering. Tamakloe-Attionu had failed to return to Ghana after being granted permission in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment, leading to her trial proceeding without her presence.
Must ReadSedina Tamakloe-Attionu, former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre MASLOC, has been extradited from the United States to Ghana, marking the first such extradition since 2009. The United States Embassy in Ghana announced the extradition on June 9, 2026, highlighting strong law enforcement cooperation between the two countries in combating corruption and financial crimes. Tamakloe-Attionu was convicted in absentia by the Accra High Court in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for over 70 corruption-related charges, including stealing and causing financial loss to the state during her tenure from 2013 to 2016. These charges involved embezzling over $6 million equivalent in Ghanaian taxpayer funds and contributing to losses estimated at nearly GH¢90 million. She was arrested by US Marshals in Texas and detained at the Nevada Southern Detention Center. A United States District Court in Nevada certified Ghana's extradition request in April 2026. Tamakloe-Attionu arrived in Ghana on June 9, 2026, and was taken into custody to begin serving her sentence.