A public exchange on Facebook between Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene and Erastus Asare Donkor, a journalist with The Multimedia Group, has sparked debate over the treatment of individuals linked to the fight against illegal mining (galamsey).
The disagreement began when Erastus Asare Donkor criticized what he described as the “continuous detention” of Wendell Nana Yeboah, whom he referred to as a whistleblower.
In his post, the environmental Journalists argued that holding the young man in custody was “a spite in the face of the illegal mining fight” and warned that such actions could “silence all future whistleblowers.”
He further urged authorities not to “weaponize bail against people who genuinely hate galamsey.”
Responding directly to Donkor’s comments, Dr. Amoakohene dismissed the claim of continued detention, stating that Yeboah had already been released.
According to the Minister, the post alleging prolonged custody was made “38 minutes” after Yeboah had been freed, making the journalist’s claims inaccurate.
“When I tell you it is an agenda, even the gentleman according to his lawyer was released yesterday, but this post is 38 minutes old. And they don’t see anything wrong with wrongful accusations and think that is normal,” Dr. Amoakohene wrote.
He encouraged Erastus Asare Donkor to review the comments under his post and insisted that the fight against illegal mining must not involve “destroying innocent people.”
The exchange has triggered discussions online about the handling of alleged whistleblowers, transparency in the enforcement of anti-galamsey operations, and the accuracy of public commentary by influential figures.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
