The Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang, has stated that his involvement in the attempted removal of seized excavators in the custody of the Ashanti Regional Forestry Commission was with good intentions.
On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, five excavators, seized and held by the commission as exhibits in ongoing anti-illegal mining (galamsey) prosecutions, were reportedly taken by individuals claiming to be acting under "orders from above." Following immediate public backlash, the excavators, visibly marked as court exhibits, were returned to the Forestry Commission's custody.
It later emerged that the attempted removal involved the Kumasi Mayor.
In an interview with JoyNews, and monitored by GhanaWeb, Ofori Agyemang explained that he was unaware the excavators were court exhibits.
