A Tarkwa Circuit Court sentenced three individuals to five years imprisonment each for participating in illegal mining activities within a protected environmental zone. The convicts identified as Eric Yaw and Robert Sarpong and David Donkor were found guilty of mining without a license and entering a forest reserve without permission. Judge Hathia Ama Manooh delivered the ruling after the prosecution presented evidence of their activities according to a report by 3News.
Forestry Commission officials and local law enforcement conducted the operation that led to the arrests. The prosecution stated that the men were apprehended while operating heavy machinery and washing gold ore in the Bonsa River Forest Reserve. Daily Guide Network reported that the activities of the convicts caused significant damage to the forest floor and polluted nearby water bodies which serve local communities. The court ordered the destruction of the seized mining equipment used during the illegal operation.
The sentencing comes amidst a renewed national effort to curb the spread of galamsey in Ghana. Official statements from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources indicate that the government has intensified patrols in forest reserves to protect biodiversity and water resources. The prosecution argued that a custodial sentence was necessary to serve as a deterrent to others considering similar illegal acts in protected zones as noted by Citi Newsroom.
The defense counsel pleaded for leniency and suggested a fine instead of a custodial sentence but the presiding judge maintained that the environmental impact of illegal mining required a strict judicial response. The three men will serve their five year terms at the Tarkwa local prison. This case represents one of several recent convictions as the Ghanaian judiciary fast tracks cases related to environmental crimes and illegal mineral extraction.