Plant operator fined for stealing cyanide

A Tarkwa Circuit Court on Tuesday fined a plant operator of the metallurgical department at the Tarkwa mine of Goldfields Ghana Limited, Ebenezer Abban, a sum of 600 Ghana cedis or in default serve three years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing cyanide valued at about GH¢322.89 belonging to his employees.

He pleaded guilty of the offence.

Prosecuting Police Detective, Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah, told the court presided over by Mr. Samuel Obeng Diawuo that on March 24 this year, around 0612 hours, the security officers of Goldfields Ghana Limited, Tarkwa mine were at post at the company’s main access gate when a Nissan Almera taxi cab with registration number WR 321-11 pulled up.

He said when the security officers on duty inspected the booth of the taxi cab they found six black polythene bags containing cyanide.

According to the Prosecutor, when the accused was questioned on the item he explained that on March 23 he went on duty at the metallurgical department and around 2130 hours he stole the cyanide and used the department Toyota vehicle with registration number GE 1294W to convey it from the C.I.L storage shed to the company’s main car park.

Inspector Amponsah said in the early hours of March 24 the accused person managed to discharge the stolen item in the said taxi cab but while conveying it away he was intercepted at the company’s security check point and the vehicle together with the exhibit was impounded.**