Woman, six others remanded for engaging in illegal mining

Seven illegal miners including a female, arrested by the Operation Vanguard Taskforce in the Eastern region have been remanded in Prison custody by the Koforidua Circuit Court ‘B’.

The accused persons are Paul Arthur, Kwasi Kuma, Kwasi Sammy and Akosua Asantewa.

The rest are Yaw Agbenyo 41, a farmer, Amos Dautey, 52, a farmer and Sellas Yao, 52, an auto mechanic.

Arthur, Kuma, Sammy and Akosua Asantewa were arrested at Akyem Apenaman near Akwatia busily mining while Agbenyo, Dautey and Yao were arrested at Kusi a community also near Akwatia for illegally mining diamond on the Birim River.

Upon seeing the taskforce, they dived into the river but members of the taskforce from the marine unit went after them and arrested them.

The Taskforce retrieved some mining equipment which were used as exhibit in court.

Two State Attorneys, Nana Gyankomah Sakyi and Emmanuel Opare Wiredu handling the cases respectively pressed charges of conspiracy to commit crime and mining without license against the accused persons in both cases.

However the accused persons pleaded not guilty and have been remanded by the Presiding Judge, Her Honour Mercy Adei Kotei denying bail plea for the defense counsel.

The accused persons are expected to reappear on February 7, 2018.