Chinese illegal miners case: Prosecution asked to get interpreter

The Koforidua Circuit Court B has adjourned to May 23, 2017 for trial to begin in a case involving three Chinese nationals and three Ghanaian illegal miners arrested at Denkyira near Nkawkaw in the Eastern region.

The Court has also asked Prosecution to get Chinese interpreter for trial to begin on the adjourned date.

The former New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Richardson Kumeko who led the arrest is expected to mount the witness box.

The accused persons are Gao Suba ,43, Wu Shao Lin 44,Wu Enzing, 45, all Chinese nationals. The other Ghanian accused persons are Benjamin Amaning ,22, Raymond Ayambilla,30, and Atta Dankwa 31.They are facing charges of Conspiracy to commit crime to with mining ,Mining without license and Mining.

The Court however on Thursday granted GHC 30,000 with two surety bail to Bejamine Amaning ,22, a Ghanaian accomplice in the case following a bail application by his counsel.

The defense council argued that, the accused was not part of the illegal mining, rather was taking care of an excavator awaiting to be conveyed from the mining site following the directive by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.

The accused persons were arrested on April 1, this year, at Denkyira, a village near Nkawkaw during a swoop led by the immediate past New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Richardson Kumeko.

The police impounded four excavators, three pump action guns and 68 cartridges used by the accused persons at their mining site.

Four other Chinese nationals suspected to be accomplices of the accused persons but managed to escape during the Police Swoop,were later arrested by the Nkawkaw Divisional Police Command and are also standing trial.

Also standing trial at Koforidua Circuit B are another set of four Chinese nationals arrested in similar fashion by the Police at Akyem Topreman near Akwatia.

They are Jac Wang,36,Zhu King Sheng ,47,Zhong Hongua,36, and Li Yi,36.