Drama unfolded at a Sekondi High Court yesterday when one of the five Chinese nationals standing trial at the court for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in the River Ankobra in the Western Region became upset during proceedings.
Yin Bi Qiang got enraged for a brief moment when one of the Chinese suspects, Ning Guorui, referred to him (Qiang) as his boss in his caution statement to the police.
The statement which was read by an investigator in the case, one Sergeant Oduro, was interpreted by a certified Mandarin interpreter, Yang Weiqiang.
Sergeant Oduro, reading Ning Guorui’s statement, indicated that the suspect claimed that Yin Bi Qiang was the boss who employed him in the business.
As the interpreter was interpreting the statement in Mandarin, Yi Bi Qiang, a spare parts dealer who was visibly furious, raised his hand. When the court asked him to speak, he looked at Guorui and angrily asked “Am I your boss” in Mandarin, which was interpreted to the court.
Counsel for the suspects, Constantine Kudedzi, quickly had to intervene by asking Yin Bi Qiang to relax and not to get angry.
The lawyer later told the court that he wanted to file a submission of no case and so the court, presided over by Justice Edward Amoako Asante, adjourned proceedings to Monday, July 24, 2017.
Later in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, Lawyer Kudedzi indicated that to him, the prosecution had not made enough evidence to warrant his clients opening their defence, hence his decision to make a submission of no case.
“And it is for the court to decide whether what I will say is correct or not. If the court feels that it’s not correct then my clients will be required to open their defence,” he added.
Suspects
The five Chinese and their five Ghanaian counterparts were arrested for allegedly mining in the River Ankobra illegally on May 24, 2017.
The names of the Chinese suspects were given as Dong Cheng, unemployed; Huang Jiang, engineer; Nin Guorui, welder; Yin Bi Qiang, spare parts dealer and Li Zilong, cook.
The Ghanaian suspects are Eric Owusu, carpenter; Kwabena Adjei, small scale miner; Nana Adu Ackah Mensah, farmer; Kwesi Owusu, unemployed and Kofi Darko, driver.
Background
According to the prosecutor, George Sackey, a senior state attorney, in the early part of 2017, the Police Regional CID in Sekondi, had a tip-off that some Asians and Ghanaians had invaded the banks of River Ankobra and were engaged in illegal mining on the bed of the river.
Armed with the information, the Regional Police Command organised an operation on May 24, 2017 to clamp down the illegal miners.
The team visited the area and spotted the accused persons busily engaged in alluvial dredging on board a huge boat mounted on River Ankobra, which served as their permanent place of abode.
The police managed to enter the boat and arrested the accused persons.
When a search was conducted on the boat, a quantity of black sand concentrate in a metal container suspected to contain gold was found together with machine parts.
In the course of investigations, it was realised that the accused persons did not have authorisation from the Minerals Commission to conduct that mining procedure.
The suspects were also not able to produce any authorisation from the EPA or the Water Resources Commission.
According to the senior state attorney, the five Chinese nationals had not been able to produce evidence to authorise their operation of a mining concession or engage in any type of mining activity in Ghana.
After investigations, they were charged and arraigned before court.
Charges
Eight charges have been preferred against the five Chinese and their Ghanaian counterparts.
They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and undertaking small-scale mining without license, causing intentional and unlawful harm and damage to property, causing unlawful damage intentionally and unlawfully to property in a manner likely to cause danger to life.
They were also charged with pollution of water contrary to Section 23(1) of the criminal offences, pollution of water contrary to Section 24 of the Water Resources Commission Act, 1996.
The other charges are engaging in mining activity using methods not known or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), disregarding a directive and obligation imposed under the Immigration Act and also making false representation contrary to Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960.
All the 10 suspects had pleaded not guilty to the eight charges.
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