Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has revealed that over 850 people are currently being prosecuted for their suspected involvement in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
This comes amidst growing concerns over galamsey’s catastrophic impact on the country’s waterways and forest areas.
Speaking during the Ghana Bar Association’s 2024/2025 annual general conference, Yeboah Dame disclosed that 140 cases of illegal mining are being probed in five regions: Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Greater, and Upper East.
He stressed the difficulties faced by prosecutors in court but also stated that progress has been achieved, with 76 convictions secured since August 2021, including that of notorious Chinese galamsey queen Aisha Huang.
Yeboah Dame promised that the government is committed to combating the galamsey scourge, with heavy penalties enforced on prisoners, including minimum 15-year terms and hefty fines for non-Ghanaians.
The Attorney General remarked that several cases were nearing completion and expressed confidence that the judiciary will continue to play an important role in preventing unlawful mining.
“Illegal mining, galamsey, continues to cause damage to our forest reserves and water 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 till date, at least 76 persons, including 18 foreigners, have been convicted. They include the acclaimed Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang, who was convicted on December 4, 2023, of offences committed between 2014 and 2016 in the era of the previous government.
“Most of the convicts were sentenced under the new law, Act 995, for a minimum of 15 years plus a hefty fine for non-Ghanaians. A minimum of 15 years plus a heavy fine in the case of a non-Ghanaian and a minimum of 20 years plus a fine for a non-Ghanaian.
“Currently, over 140 cases of illegal mining involving over 850 accused persons are being prosecuted in court in the Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Greater, and Upper East regions of Ghana. Some are near conclusion.”