GENERAL NEWS

3 Chinese, 7 Ghanaians arrested for galamsey at Oda River Forest Reserve

Their activities were discovered in the Oda River Forest Reserve in the Amansie Central District in the resource-rich region, the Daily Graphic newspaper reports.

They were arrested in a three-day operation by the Bekwai Forest District of the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission and the Rapid Response Teams drawn from four other forest districts, the Daily Graphic report said.

It added that the three-day operation which was undertaken between Wednesday and Friday (December 6 and 8, 2023), formed part of the ongoing efforts by the Forestry Commission to clamp down on illegal mining activities (galamsey) in forest reserves across the country.

FSD Executive Director, Hugh Brown, shared details of the operation with the Daily Graphic, including that, the galamseyers were operating in seven compartments in the forest reserve, which is one of the designated red zones.

“In addition, 10 excavators, 19 fuel tanks, nine power plants, two chanfang machines, four motorbikes, five water pumping machines and seven wooden structures were demobilised,” he said.

Mr Brown said seven out of the 10 suspects – Michael Korsah, Basit Shizu, Amadu Musah, Prince Boakye, Amedodzi Kofi, Akwasi Adu and Shi Tiachao, who were arrested on Wednesday, December 6, were arraigned before the Bekwai Circuit court on December 7.

He said the remaining three – Bernard Sarkodie, Li Tauhai and Rao Shifa who were arrested on Thursday, December 7, appeared before the Court on December 8.

“All 10 suspects have been remanded into police custody for one week,” he said.

The arrest comes barely a week after an Accra High Court jailed a Chinese galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang. She was handed a four-and-half-year sentence for galamsey as well as other immigration offences.

The fight against galamsey has been topical in recent years after the adverse impact of their activities became clear in terms of destruction of water bodies and farm lands in mining areas.

Government has serially stated its commitment to the anti-galamsey fight but the fight has so far been branded a failure as the activities continue unabated in parts of the country.

 

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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