Court slaps 5-months jail term on 2 illegal miners

A circuit court at Bekwai in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region has sentenced two illegal miners to five months imprisonment.

They were convicted of illegally mining in the Apramprama Forest Reserve.

The two, George Duadze, 25, and Kwaku Antiful, 23, were arrested by the Bekwai Municipal Office of the Forestry Commission.

Other miners who engaged in the same illegal activity managed to escape arrest.

The Bekwai Municipal Manager of the Forestry Commission, George Agbenoshie, in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM called on the general public to assist his outfit to clamp down on such activities.

“We want our major stakeholders to come on board to assist us, especially our major stakeholders so that we protect that part of the forest reserve. We want the judiciary to apply stiffer punishments that serves as a deterrent such that people will not continue to indulge in such practices.”