Court gives ultimatum to Upper East REGSEC

Bolgatanga, Feb.21, GNA - A Bolgatanga Circuit Court on Tuesday gave the Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) a three-week ultimatum to resolve a dispute between Mr Daniel Bio and Mr Nashiru Alhassan over a small-scale mining concession in the Talensi-Nabdam District. The Circuit Court Judge, Mr. Justice Imoro Ziblim, giving the ultimatum, said the case before the court did not merit criminal charges since the issue was on mining rights.

He therefore, granted Mr Alhassan and his group two million cedis self-recognisance bail.

It would be recalled that in February last year there was a clash between the two groups on led by Mr Bio and the other by Mr Alhassan on the concession which resulted in a gunshot allegedly fired by Mr Bio also known as Point Nine.

Mr Alhassan reported the case to the police alleging that Mr Bio had encroached on his mining concession by digging underground tunnels across his border, which resulted in the clash. The clash prompted REGSEC to set up a committee to investigate the issue.

As part of the committee's recommendations, it was decided that Mr Alhassan should take one-third of the concession but he refused and walked out of the committee's meeting. Mr Alhassan and his group were later arrested and charged with contempt of the REGSEC.