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Bekwai Court remands two Oda Reserve illegal miners

The Bekwai Circuit Court has remanded two people who allegedly engaged in illegal mining activities, popularly known as “galemsey” in the Oda Forest Reserve, into Police custody.

Victor Olitey, 19 and Sonta Thanga, 23, have denied conspiring to undertake small scale mining without authority from the Minerals Commission.

They will make their next appearance on June 7, 2022.

Detective Chief Inspector Eric Twum told the Court that both accused persons were farmers.

He said the complainants were Forestry officials and that the accused persons lived at Domeabra.

The prosecution said the Forestry Division Taskforce upon a tip-off together with the Military went to the Oda Forest Reserve on May 23, 2022, Bonosu near Jacobu in the Ashanti Region, where they met the accused persons and others at large looking for gold.

It said they were conducting the exercise with pix axes, shovels, and gold metal detectors, causing damage to the Forest.

The prosecution said the team then arrested the two but the others escaped.

The two, he said, were handed over to the Jacobu Police and in their cautioned statements they mentioned one Mohammed and Kwaku as those who engaged them.

In praying for bail, their counsel said they were young, had a fixed place of abode, not a flight risk, had people of substance to stand as sureties, the police had completed their investigations and they had pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The prosecution in opposing the bail said their detention would help to arrest their bosses.

The Court refused them bail and ordered the prosecution to file and serve the accused persons with disclosures, two clear days before the next sitting.

Source: GNA

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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