By Beatrice Oppon
A Reverend Minister Wallace Dela Brown and one other, Wilberforce Essien, have been put before the Accra High Court for conspiring to engage in illegal mining with some foreign nationals.
Essien is facing an additional charge of contracting non-Ghanaians to engage in illegal mining in the country. The Court presided by Justice Mary Yanzuh granted each of them bail in the sum of two million cedis with two sureties.
The sureties are to be justified with landed properties and must be residents of Accra. They are also to deposit their passport pictures with the registrar of the court. The two accused persons are also to deposit their passports with the Registrar of the Court and report to the police once every week.
Assistant State Attorney, Derrick Ackah, told the Court that last September 8, 2022, the Police received information about illegal mining activities popularly known as galamsey at Teleku-Bokazo near Nkroful in the Western Region involving some foreign nationals.
He said the Police acting on the information, arrested five Chinese nationals who are currently in custody and also seized an excavator and other mining equipment.
The Prosecutor said investigations revealed that Essien entered into an agreement with the Chinese nationals to provide them with logistics and financial support to mine on a concession belonging to Rev. Brown. Essien allegedly paid ¢150,000 cedis to Rev Brown to enable him undertake the mining activities on his concession.
The case has been adjourned to October 20, 2023.