Five persons have been handed a 20-year prison term each in hard labor by a Tarkwa Circuit Court for mining without authority.
The convicts namely; Sampson Mefe, Eric Bentua, Francis Nkubi, Timothy Kumordja, and Evans Larbi, although pleaded not guilty were found guilty after trial.
The Presiding Judge, Hathia Ama Manu, was told by the Prosecuting Assistant State Attorney, Kingsley Agyekum that the complainant was Nana Yaw Baako, the Assemblymember of Himan Electoral Area, who lived at Ankobra, a community within the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
The Assistant State Attorney, further noted that on August 17, 2021, the complainant, together with five opinion leaders, had information that the accused persons were prospecting for gold nuggets in the Ankobra River.
Mr Agyekum added that after receiving the tip-off, they went to Kpoviadzi, a village in Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality, and found the accused persons mining in the river with a dredging machine.
The suspects were immediately arrested and handed over to the police to assist in investigations, while the dredging machine was set on fire, the prosecution said.
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