Galamsey: 4 Chinese, One Ghanaian denied Bail

A High Court in Accra presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Comfort Kwasior Tasiame, has denied bail to five individuals: Liang Shao King, Zhang Mei Jun, Qin Cal Yun, Wu Ming Shan, and Frederick Danso over illegal mining activities commonly known as galamsey.

The court’s decision was influenced by the public interest in the case and the absence of a new charge sheet amid ongoing investigations.

The accused face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit crimes related to buying and selling minerals without a license, in violation of Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and Section 99(1)(a) of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).

Additionally, the four Chinese nationals are charged with operating a mining business without the necessary permits, contrary to Section 99(3) of the same act.

Frederick Danso faces a separate charge for undertaking a mining operation without a license.

All five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were read in English and interpreted into Chinese for clarity.

Although the prosecution, initially represented by Amane A. Awadey (SA), was absent at the beginning of the proceedings, they later appeared in court.

The court has ordered prosecution to submit their disclosures within one week as preparations for the trial continue.

The case was adjourned to October 31, 2024.

This ruling underscores the court’s commitment to balancing public interest with the rights of the accused, highlighting the necessity for thorough investigations in high-profile cases.

The refusal of bail, coupled with the defendant’s denial of guilt, sets the stage for a closely monitored trial that has drawn significant public attention.

Brief Facts

The suspects were arrested following intelligence gathered by operatives from the Ministry of National Security regarding illegal mining activities in Obuasi, Ashanti Region.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were using twenty(20) excavators owned by Shengfa Company Limited at various illegal mining sites in the Obuasi Municipality.

During their arrest, two(2) of the Chinese nationals stated they were engaged in the buying and selling of gold but could not produce any licenses.

Further inquiries indicated that Shengfa Company Limited is involved in renting and selling excavators to illegal miners.

The suspects informed the police that the said twenty (20) excavators had been deployed to various locations in the Ashanti Region for mining purposes, expecting refined or unrefined gold in return.

A subsequent search of their premises yielded approximately 653.20 grams of refined gold valued at GHC 788,939.90, 248.20 grams of unrefined gold valued at GHC 280,709.77, and an additional GHC 968,770.00 in cash.

Source: myrepubliconline