The Koforidua Circuit Court has sentenced Togolese national Shaibu Yaw to 18 years in prison with hard labour for engaging in illegal mining activities at Akyem Mouso in the Atewa West District of the Eastern Region.
The court presided over by Her Lordship Abigail Animah Asare, convicted Shaibu after he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit a crime related to illegal mining (galamsey) and engaging in mining without a valid license.
He was also fined 10,000 penalty units for both counts.
When offered the opportunity to speak before the sentencing, Shaibu pleaded with the court to allow him to return to his home country, Togo, with a promise never to return to Ghana to engage in illegal mining.
However, the judge explained that while he has the right to appeal the ruling, the severity of the crime, given its widespread environmental consequences, necessitated such a firm sentence.
In delivering her judgment, Her Lordship Animah Asare emphasized the seriousness of illegal mining, noting its devastating impact on Ghana’s natural resources. She called on her court interpreters to clearly explain the ruling to all present and urged everyone, particularly those involved in galamsey, to cease such activities immediately.
This comes after the arrest of five illegal miners by the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners Taskforce for operating in the Birim River at Mampong in the Atewa East District of the Eastern Region.
The task force also set ablaze 40 changfans and confiscated two newly built ones.
The newly constructed changfans were just about to be deployed into the Birim River by the illegal miners.
