Environment

Sixteen drivers who allegedly undertook sand winning operations at Agbazu, near Amasaman without license, have been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court. They are Gariba Ali, Ekow Quansah aka Big Joe, Christopher Semebia, Ahmed Abdul Asit, Ahmed Abdul Basit, Sampson Asum, Kwame Appiah, Samuel Gaisie, Stephen Owusu Sekyere, Adam Issah. Kwaku Afful, Eric Fiagbedzi, Mohammed Abdallah, Michael Kangvivi, Rashid Sumaila, Suleman Mohammed and Samuel Lavoe. The sixteen accused persons were nabbed together with a loader and 13 tipper trucks. The accused are alleged to have caused damage to crops of five farmers who are also members of the Fruit and Vegetable Exporters in Central, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions. Samuel Atsu Forson, the seventh accused person, is said to be at large. The court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo has issued a bench warrant for his arrest. The accused persons have been charged with causing unlawful damage and Mining without license. The court did not take their pleas, pending further investigations into the matter. Counsel for the 16 accused persons prayed for bail, saying the accused persons were presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court. According to the court, the accused persons also have men of substance to sign their bail for them and they have been cooperating with the Police to apprehend Samuel Atsu Forson who has been selling the sand to them. Mr Justine Teriwajah, who appeared with Boahene Gyan for Forson, opposed the prosecution’s prayer for bench warrant against their client. Prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kofi Anane told the court the matter was under investigations and prayed for bench warrant for Forson, who is at large. The court granted the prosecution’s prayer and issued a bench warrant for Forson. According to the court, “looking at the seriousness and nature of the allegations against the accused persons” it declined them bail. The matter has been adjourned to August 21, 2024 Prosecution said the complainants, namely Anthony Botchway, Solomon Benjamin, George Kpoye and Mark Achel were farmers and members of the Fruit and Vegetable Exporters in Central, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions. Prosecution said on August 8, 2024, the complainants reported that the accused persons unlawfully entered their farmlands located at Kofi Kwei, Agbazu and Oboman near Amasaman for sand winning and caused damage to the crops on their farms. The court heard that based on the complaints, the Police visited the aforementioned farmlands and observed the illegal activities of the accused persons and took videos at the scene. On August 13, 2024, the Police visited the scene again and arrested the accused persons with one loader and 13 tipper trucks. GNA