THE Koforidua Circuit Court ‘B’ in the Eastern Region, presided over by Her Honour Mercy Addie Kotei, yesterday granted bail of GH¢350,000 each to the 32 alleged National Security suspects who were arrested for engaging in illegal mining, popularly called galamsey, in the Atiwa Forest.
In addition to the GH¢350,000, each accused persons is to provide two surety, one to be justified, as part of the bail terms and the case has been adjourned to July 7, 2021.
Court Drama
There was another drama at the premises of the court when the bail was granted.
As the accused persons boarded their bus, they started singing and praising God.
They sang in unison the Pentecost song “Y3 da woase ooo! Yeyi woay3 Ohene k3se eeii Hallelujah! Awurade Y3su eiii Ahenfo mu hene!”
Some friends and family members who thronged the court were also excited and joined the accused persons in singing praises to God.
Accused Persons
The 32 accused persons were George Asante, the ringleader, who earlier wanted to secure bail for himself but was denied, Kwaku Frimpong, Alfred Kyei, Yaw Opoku, Richard Nartey, Paul Osei Kuffour, Dominic Beblie, Samuel Kofi Edusei, Silas Boakye Gyan, Joseph Oduro Asare, Mukaila Attah, Stephen Opoku, Michael Quansah, Derrick Adu Kwakye, Razark Suleman, Stephen Kofi Felan, Dominic Ghansah, Robert Nartey Tetteh, Eric Addei, Yakubu Mohammed aka Jordan 1 and Benlord Abebio aka Commander.
The rest are Adam Dakurugu, Kwame Isaac, Joe Acquah, Emmanuel Arhin, Samuel Asiedu Gyamfra, David Akakpo, Ebenezer Boateng, Joseph Kwaku Gyamfi, Fuseini Alhassan, Alhassan Asibi and Gabriel Dormate.
They are facing a provisional charge of possession of firearms without lawful excuse and mining illegally in forest reserves.
The Eastern Regional Police Command last month arrested the accused persons in the Atiwa Forest and retrieved assault rifles, short guns and a pump-action gun, 10 rounds of ammunition, 12 Gotta handsets, three handcuffs, four shovels, and an electric shocker.
Prosecution’s Case
According to the prosecution, the security agencies picked up information that the accused persons armed with dangerous weapons were undertaking illegal mining activities.
The prosecution said the accused persons posed as National Security operatives and were harassing residents of villages around the Atiwa Forest, with their weapons.
A team of officers, both plain clothes and uniformed officers from the National Security Secretariat, were dispatched to the area to ascertain the facts.
The prosecution explained that the operatives together with a team from the Regional Police Command proceeded to the Akanteng area of the forest reserve, near Osinase, where the team met and rescued the accused persons from an angry youth at Akanteng who had earlier accosted them.
He added that after preliminary investigations, it was established that the accused persons were a group of persons who carried themselves as National Security operatives whereas they are not.
The accused persons, using weapons, have been visiting several mining areas within the Ashanti and the Eastern region to undertake illegal mining activities, according to the prosecution.
It was also established that the accused persons as part of their unlawful activities threatened, demanded, and seized an unspecified kilo of gold and huge cash from certain small-scale miners.
Further investigations confirmed that on May 4, the accused persons were digging for gold when the residents of Akanteng pounced on them and arrested them.
They were later brought to Accra for further interrogation, where it was detected they were not from the National Security.
They however, claimed ownership of the weapons retrieved, according to the prosecution.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua