76 Convicted of Galamsey Since August 2021- Dame

The Attorney-General and the Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame has announced the prosecution and successful conviction of 76 illegal mining operators since August 2021.

This number, he said, encompasses foreigners.

He noted that the convicts were sentenced under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995) to a minimum of 15 years plus a heavy fine in the case of a Ghanaian while a minimum of 20 years plus a hefty fine for a non-Ghanaian.

Speaking at the 2024 Ghana Bar Association Conference in Kumasi on September 9, 2024, he spoke of how illegal mining known as galamsey has wreaked havoc on the country’s forest reserves and river bodies.

“In the teeth of the difficulties prosecutors encounter in the courts in the prosecution of illegal mining offences, the Criminal Division has enjoyed some success even though there is still room for more to be done.

“From August 2021 to date, at least 76 persons, including 18 foreigners have been convicted. They include the acclaimed Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang, who was convicted on 4th December 2023 of offences committed between 2014 and 2016 in the era of the previous government.”

At the moment, he said more than 140 cases of illegal mining involving over 850 accused persons are being prosecuted in courts in the Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Greater-Accra and Upper East regions of Ghana with some nearing conclusion.