The Minister for Justice and the Attorney- General, Godfred Dame, has disclosed that up to 187 illegal small-scale miners (galamseyers) have been jailed in the Eastern Region since 2017.
According to him, out of the 187 illegal miners jailed, 29 were nationals of Niger, seven Nigerians and three Chinese with the remaining 148 being Ghanaians.
The Attorney-General indicated that most of the ‘galamseyers’ were given a minimum fine of three thousand penalty units or an imprisonment term of not more than five years for the offence of buying or selling minerals without a licence under Section 99(1) of Act 703 of the 1992 Constitution.
He also indicated that some of the illegal small-scale miners were sentenced for the offence of mining without a licence and were given a minimum fine of one thousand penalty units or an imprisonment term of not more than three years under Section 99(2) of Act 703.
Also, the AG indicated that 33 persons involved in small-scale mining were convicted under the new mining laws, the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), between August 2021 and September 2022 and are currently serving various prison terms of 15 years, 20 years and 18 years.
The AG, who disclosed these details at a press briefing, added that 11 of these 33 people are offering nationals.
He also indicated that his office has secured convictions for 48 new cases with only one on appeal.
Dame added that 43 new cases are being trialled in courts in Koforidua with 250 other cases which involve some Chinese pending.
The AG further stated that details of the prosecution of illegal miners in other regions, particularly, the Ashanti, Western and Greater-Accra Regions will soon be provided.