The Wa Circuit Court has sentenced five Burkina Faso nationals to 20 years in prison for illegal mining activities in the Wa West district of the Upper West region.
The five were found guilty of violating section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act and section 99 of the Minerals and Mining Act as amended, marking a decisive stance against unlawful mining practices.
They were arrested on March 23 at an illegal mining site in Maase, Wa West district, after law enforcement officers received a tip-off about ongoing illegal mining activities in the area.
They attempted to flee the scene after their arrest but were swiftly apprehended by the police.
A subsequent search of the site led to the discovery of three water-pumping machines and various other mining implements, solidifying the evidence against them.
The foreign nationals admitted to mining without a license during interrogation, citing their previous employment in Burkina Faso and migration to Ghana due to drought conditions.
The court convicted the them on two counts: conspiracy to commit a crime (mining without a licence) and mining without a license as non-Ghanaian nationals, underscoring the severity of their actions.
Principal State Attorney Saeed Abdul Shakur said that the conviction’s importance as a deterrent to illegal mining activities in Ghana.
The accused were caught red-handed and cannot refute their involvement, leading to a minimum 20-year imprisonment for foreigners involved in illegal mining.
“They were caught actually in the act, they were inside the pit when they were arrested. Eventually, they couldn’t do anything.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
