The Tarkwa Circuit Court has sentenced five persons guilty of illicit mining to 100 years in prison with hard labour.
The illegal miners are Sampson Mele, Eric Bentua, Francis Nkubi, Timothy Kumordja, and Evans Larbi.
Despite the fact that the five denied committing the crime, they were all found guilty after a trial and sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour.
Attorney Kingsley Agyekum, who was prosecuting, informed the court, chaired over by Mrs. Hathia Ama Manu, that the complainant was Nana Yaw Baako, an assemblyman from the Himan Electoral Area.
The accused, he added, lived in Ankobra, a suburb in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
The complainant and five opinion leaders are aware that on August 17, 2021, at around 1500 hours, the accused were prospecting for gold nuggets in the Ankobra River.
He stated that after receiving the tip, they went to the village of Kpoviadzi in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality and witnessed the suspects mining in the river with a dredging machine.
As the dredge machine caught fire, they were apprehended and turned over to the police to assist with their investigations.
They were swiftly arrested and handed over to the police to assist with investigations while the dredge machine was set on fire.
