The Nkawie Circuit Court has sentenced four illegal miners, including two students, to a total fine of GH¢16,800.00, for unlawfully prospecting for gold in the Desire Forest Reserve in the Nkawie forest district.
Stephen Yeboah, 20, and Pasooba Issifu, 18, both students, pleaded guilty, and were fined GH¢3,600.00 each or serve two years imprisonment in default.
The two others, Kwabena Twumasi, 29, and Issah Abubakar, 25, both farmers, also pleaded guilty to the charges and were fined GH¢ 4,800.00 each.
The two farmers would serve three years’ imprisonment each in default of the payment of the fine.
Prosecuting, Police Inspector Jonas Newlove Agyei told the court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey that, the complainant was the Range Manager of the Desire Forest Reserve near Nimasua number two, in the Ahafo-Ano North municipality.
He said on June 6, this year, a joint military and police team, together with forestry officials went to the reserve and saw some people attempting to mine gold, and two were arrested, but 20 others escaped.
Inspector Agyei said the convicts were transferred to the Manfo Police Station and admitted in their cautioned statements that they were engaging in illegal mining. –GNA
