Fifty-One suspects, who allegedly attacked employees of Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL) and destroyed properties belonging to the company have been remanded by the District Court B in Tarkwa.
The pleas of the suspects have not been taken, and Superintendent of Police Juliana Essel-Dadzie, prayed the court to remand them (accused) to enable police complete investigations into the case.
The prosecution told the court presided over by Justice Isaac Osei Asare that: “We need more time to probe further into the case. This will help us deal solely with only those involved in the crime and free the innocent persons”.
The suspects would be charged with conspiracy to commit crime and other offences, Sup Essel-Dadzie told the court.
However, counsels for eight of the suspects, Bright Baiden and Jacob Acquah-Sampson, prayed the court to grant their clients bail.
Justice Asare said he would rule on the bail application on Friday, April 14, and remanded all the suspects in prison custody to re-appear on the same date.
The Group Corporate Affairs Manager of GSWL, Mr Gerard Boakye, was present in court together with some employees.
He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that, “we have not gotten into the case yet mainly because the police requested for more time to engage the suspects because the first set of suspects, they arrested paved the way to apprehend more, so I think all is in line with making sure that people are not wrongful judged”.
On Thursday March 16, this year, illegal miners, popularly known as ‘galamseyers’ from Subriso in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region, attacked employees of GSWL and destroyed properties over illegal mining activities at one of the company’s concessions, resulting in the arrest of the 51 suspects.
The illegal miners injured some employees, smashed windscreens of 22 dumper trucks, set ablaze 12 vehicles, including excavators, ambulances, land cruisers, pick-ups and part of the administrative block of the GSWL. —GNA
