Shooting of farmers: MP chases trigger-happy police officers

The Member of Parliament for Abirem Constituency in the Eastern Region, John Osei Frimpong, has promised to investigate the shooting of seven farmers during a demonstration against Newmont on Tuesday.

According to the MP, the farmers were harmless without any weapons and did not attack the police to warrant the opening of fire on them by the police officers.

The seven farmers who were part of the demonstrators protesting the action of Newmont Akyem Mines sustained injuries when police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them.

Farmers in the mining area have been agitating over the past three years for a compensation package from Newmont following the takeover of their farmlands.

The demonstration, which started around 6:00 am, saw the farmers blocking the roads leading to the mining site at Adeisona, burning car tires to prevent the workers from going to the site.

The police officers who were detailed to restore order allegedly fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse the charged farmers.

The injured farmers are still receiving treatment at the Abirem Government Hospital, Onua FM’s Yen Sempa checks on Wednesday morning revealed.

The MP, Osei Frimpong told Yen Sempa host, Bright Kwasi Asempa that “we shall investigate who shot the farmers because they were harmless farmers. They had no weapons”.

He insisted “the farmers were attacked wrongly. The farmers did not attack the police and they were harmless”.

3news