The Magistrate of the Sefwi Wiawso District Court in the Western Region, His Worship Eric Baah Boateng, has ordered a police prosecutor to provide documentary evidence regarding the supposed death and cremation of two Chinese nationals standing trial before it for allegedly engaging in illegal mining.
A report by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicates that the two ‘dead’ Chinese nationals were among 10 persons before the court for allegedly mining in the Krokosua Hills Forest Reserve.
The report said the 10 were arrested by officers of the Forestry Commission on December 12, 2023, for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in the Forest Reserve.
The 10 are made up of four Chinese and six Ghanaians, two of whom are police officers.
The GNA report names the Chinese suspects as Men Shi Yu, 30; Weng Yong Cheng, 30; Wen Fu Lin, 58; and Lee Pin, 60.
The Ghanaians on the other hand were named as Edward Owusu, 25; Kwesi Frank, 42; Abudu Dramani, 41; and Joe Nabur, 27.
The two police officers were identified as Detective Sergeant Yahaya Andrews and Lance Corporal Azantillow.
The report said the 10 were arraigned and had attended court on two separate occasions.
However, on March 15, 2024, which was the third court date, the court noted that only two Chinese were present instead of the usual four.
This prompted His Worship Boateng to ask the prosecutor, Chief Inspector George Asante Noye, as to the whereabouts of the two Chinese.
The report said the prosecutor responded that two of the Chinese had died and their bodies were cremated.
The court, therefore, ordered the prosecutor to bring the sureties for the four Chinese nationals to Court on April 15, 2024, to produce documentary evidence of the death and subsequent cremation of the two Chinese nationals for the court’s next line of action.
The report added that the case was subsequently adjourned to April 15, 2024, while the case docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department in Takoradi for advice.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak