Three state institutions have denied allegations by the minority caucus in Parliament of involvement in hiring of land guards to protect their lands.
The three, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) denial comes on the back of revelations made by the Chief Director of the MLNR, Professor Patrick Agbesinyale, during a meeting with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry on Monday.
The GAF in a statement copied the Ghanaian Times yesterday described the allegation as false stating that it only engaged the services of Aynok Holding Limited, a registered limited liability company to assist in reclaiming encroached government lands.
The statement signed by the Director-General of the Department of Public Relations of the GAF, Brigadier General Eric Aggrey Quashie said “it is unimaginable that GAF cannot protect its own lands, but rather indulge in an illegality by relying on the services of land guards, a proscribed activity.”
It therefore, urged the media not to hesitate to contact the Department of Public Relations to clarify stories of those nature before publishing them.
The Ghana Police Service in a four-point statement said “those allegations are “false, baseless and unfounded, and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.
It said the GPS was against the activities of land guards and has “intensified its anti-land guard operations in communities affected by the activities of these land guards and this renewed effort will not stop until perpetrators of such illegal activities are brought to justice.”
However, the ministry in a response to the allegation issued a press statement through its Public Affairs department and copied to the Ghanaian Times stating that it only engaged the services of Aynok Holding Limited.
This service, the ministry said had been rendered by Aynok Holding Limited since 2012.
BY TIMES REPORTER
