A Tarkwa Circuit Court presided over by Her Honour Hathia Ama Mawusi Bolli has sentenced a man to fifteen years in prison with hard labour for his participation in illegal mining activities known locally as galamsey. The prosecution stated that the accused was found operating an unauthorized mining site and physically assaulted members of a taskforce who were on a mission to halt illegal operations. According to a 3News report the convict was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and mining without a valid license.
During the court proceedings the prosecution presented evidence showing that the convict and his accomplices attacked the taskforce with offensive weapons when the officials attempted to seize mining equipment. A report from GhanaWeb indicates that the taskforce members sustained various degrees of injury during the confrontation which occurred in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality. The court found the evidence provided by the police and the testimony of eye witnesses sufficient to secure a conviction on multiple counts.
The presiding judge noted that the stiff sentence is intended to serve as a deterrent to others engaged in the destruction of water bodies and forest reserves. An account by Citi Newsroom suggests that the judicial decision aligns with current legislative efforts to increase penalties for those violating the Minerals and Mining Act. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the seized mining equipment to the state as part of the ruling against the individual.
While the convict has started his term at the Tarkwa local prison authorities are still pursuing other suspects who fled the scene during the initial raid. Formal statements from the Ghana Police Service confirm that investigations remain active to identify additional financiers linked to the illegal site. The court emphasized that the assault on state officials represents a serious threat to the rule of law and environmental conservation efforts in the Western Region.