The Wa Circuit Court has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to five Burkina Faso nationals convicted of engaging in illegal mining activities in the Wa West district of the Upper West region. The court found them guilty of violating section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act and section 99 of the Minerals and Mining Act as amended.
The conviction stemmed from their arrest on March 23 at an illegal mining site in Maase, Wa West district, following a tip-off received by patrolling policemen. Despite attempting to flee upon sighting the police, they were apprehended, and a subsequent search at the site led to the discovery of three water-pumping machines and other mining equipment.
In their caution statements, the accused confessed to mining without a license, citing drought conditions in Burkina Faso as the reason for their migration across the Black Volta River into Ghana.
The court convicted them on two counts: conspiracy to commit a crime (mining without a license) and mining without a license as non-Ghanaian nationals. Principal State Attorney Saeed Abdul Shakur highlighted that the accused were caught red-handed and could not deny their involvement.
The sentencing sends a stern message to individuals involved in illegal mining activities, with Shakur underscoring that the minimum sentence for foreigners engaging in such activities in Ghana is 20 years. He emphasized that the court's decision serves as a warning to others considering similar actions.
