Five illegal miners fined GH¢6,000.00

Nkawie (Ash), Aug. 22, GNA - Five gold miners engaging in "galamsey", have been ordered by the Nkawie Circuit Court to pay a total fine of GH¢6,000.00.

Kwaku Addae, 45, Kwaku Arthur, 29, Samuel Koffie Atta, 23, Martha Dogebe, 28 and Vida Amoani, would each serve a 12-month jail term if they failed to pay the money.

They all pleaded guilty to the charge of engaging in illegal mining. Police Chief Inspector Philip Jagri told the court, presided over by Justice Noble Nkrumah that, the complainant, Mr Owusu Nyamekye, is the assembly member for Nerebehi in the Atwima-Nwabiagya District. For some time now the activities of illegal gold miners had led to serious pollution of the main source of water for Nerebehi and 16 other farming communities, the Seseku Stream. Added to this is the destruction of large acres tracks of farm lands. The prosecution said the affected communities under the leadership of the assembly member set up a Task Force to check the "galamsey" operation.

On August 16 at about 1500 hours, members of the Task force caught the convicts busily digging for gold in the stream, arrested them and seized the implements they were using for the illegal activity. They later handed them over to the police.