The circuit court in Dormaa-Ahenkro, Dormaa Central Municipality of Bono Region has sentenced Alexander Addo, aged 24 and unemployed, to a fine of GHS 1.2 billion for engaging in small-scale mining without a license.
Addo pleaded guilty to the charges. By default, he will serve 20 years in prison at hard labor.
Police Inspector (P/Insp.) Emmanuel Asare told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Djanie Kotey, that the complainant, the farmer, and the convict are residents of different suburbs in Wamfie, the capital of Dormaa East district, Bono region.
P/Insp. Asare said the complainant owns agricultural land located in Wammu near Wamfie, where part of the land is planted with bananas and vegetables.
He said for more than a year now, convicts and other ‘galamseyers’ (illegal miners) have been occupying the land and causing huge damage.
P/Insp. Asare added that all efforts made by the police and the complainant to arrest the illegal miner failed, until about four months ago when the complainant, with the help of some youths, arrested the accused while he was active in illegal mining on agricultural land.
The prosecutor said that while escorting the accused to the police station, he escaped.
When the complainant visited his farm at about 1700 hours on Sunday, December 12, 2022, he met the accused and one of his friends who were engaged in mining on the farm.
He said the complainant hid himself and invited his son, a witness in the case, to the scene and they planned how to arrest the miners.
The complainant and his son quietly went home and returned in the evening at about 1900 hours, only to find the accused and his friends washing and sifting the soil on the banks of the Wam River with the intention of asking for gold.
The prosecution said the accused and his friends fled when they saw the complainant and her son.
However, he succeeded in arresting him (allegedly) for giving, with a washing rug and a plastic container to the Police.
P/Insp. Asare said at about 07:00 on Monday, December 19, 2022, the plaintiff returned to the scene and found a pickaxe, shovel and cutlass believed to be other tools used by the defendant and his friends.
During the investigation, the inmate confessed to the offense in an investigative caution statement to the police and named one Effah from Wamfie as an accomplice.
The police went to Effah’s house but were told that he had gone out of town and after investigation, the inmate was charged with the offence.
Source: GNA
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