Three illegal miners have been sentenced to a total of 45 years and also fined GH¢720,000 for undertaking small-scale mining operations without license.
The three convicts, Joseph Donkor, 40, Joseph Paul, 27, and Charles Ewusi, 27, were each jailed 15years on two counts of mining without license and conspiracy to commit crime.
In addition, they were fined ¢240,000.00 each.
The convicts were caught in the act of illegally prospecting for gold in a forest reserve on February 16 during an operation by a team from the Regional Forestry Commission.
The determination of the case is the first sentence of many illegal mining cases pending before the courts in the Western Region, where those arrested are currently helping the police in their investigation.
These follow the declaration of forest reserves and water bodies as prohibited areas or red-lines that must not be crossed.
The court said their failure to pay the fine would result in each of them serving additional two-weeks to serve as a deterrent to other like-minded people engaged in illegal mining activities.
In passing the judgment at the Circuit Court B, the presiding judge, Mrs Abigail Animah Asare, reminded other like-minded persons that the mining act had been reviewed and the punishments were very punitive.
She said the three were handed the least punishment under the act owing to the fact they were first time offenders and that it was rather unfortunate that the convicts had to suffer it when the real financiers were out there.
In the facts put before the court, the Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Robert Yawson, told the court that on February 16, 2021, the Takoradi District Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission reported illegal mining activities in the reserve.
According to the prosecutor, further investigations revealed that the three were mining without license contrary to Section 99 (2) (a) of the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006 (Act 703) as Amended by the Minerals and Mining Act of 2019 Act 995.
All this but the Chinese are left to continue, hmm so sad.
Say it again bro. Because China gives them loan