The three; Augustine Opoku, 17, Evans Mensah, 20 and Emmanuel Aidoo, 19, are all natives of Subriso in the municipality.

[contextly_sidebar id=”xOFojFZ3iMuJ7XZVmlWy2QLTdMlRvHLu”]Chief Executive for the Bekwai Municipal Assembly, Kwaku Kyei Baffour who confirmed the incident to Citi News said the three young men had dug a pit of about 10 to 20 ft depth to search for the nugget after it rained in the area.

He said the pit is yet to be covered.

“What happened is enough a warning to whoever wants to go and do same. We have warned the people through the Assembly member in the area, and we have also organised community durbars to warn them to desist from such acts,” he indicated.

Mr Kyei Baffour said the Assembly would organise series of engagements with communities within the area to sensitise them on the dangers of entering into pits to carry out illegal mining activities.

The bodies have been deposited at the Akomaa Memorial Hospital at Korchia for preservation and autopsy.

By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Bekwai Municipal Office of the Forestry Commission, arrested the two for illegally mining in the Apramprama Forest Reserve.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XQcWQgQtk2ay22kP7RBdgRp3jiC7MHHR”]The rapid response team of the Commission which had information about their activities, rushed to the scene and met the two persons with others washing gold in the forest at Jacobu, in the Amansie Central District.

The team managed to arrest the two persons, whilst the others escaped.

The team also noticed that the pit in which the miners were carrying out their activities, had a circumference measurement of about two feet and 50 feet deep.

The miners, who were handed to the police, later appeared before the Bekwai Circuit Court.

The Bekwai Municipal Manager of the Forestry Commission, George Agbenoshie, in an interview with Citi News, called on the general public to assist his outfit to clamp down on such activities.

“We want our major stakeholders to come on board to assist us, especially our major stakeholders so that we protect that part of the forest reserve. We want the judiciary to apply stiffer punishments that serves as a deterrent such that people will not continue to indulge in such practices.”

Fight against illegal mining ongoing

2017 will go down as the year with the most significant action against the galamsey menace from the government, the media and the public alike.

The government scaled up law enforcement efforts by deploying a task-force to three regions with relatively high illegal mining activity and this has resulted in hundreds of arrests.

It has also put in place an action plan called the Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP) to outline measures to reclaim polluted natural bodies and re-engage illegal miners in alternative livelihood projects, among other things.

The Chief Justice also designated 14 courts that will be dedicated to handling mining offenses committed under the Minerals and Mining Act, (Act 703) and (Amendment) Act 2015 (Act 900).

There is also currently a ban on all forms of small-scale mining in a bid to protect the heavily degraded forests and water bodies. The ban, which has been running for six months, has been extended by three months and is expected to end in January 2018.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonine.com/Ghana

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According to them, information from the public will complement their efforts in arresting persons who engage in the illegal activities.

The call comes after a Bekwai district court presided over by His Lordship Frederick A.W.K Nawurah, handed over a six months sentence to an illegal chainsaw operator, with hard labor, after he was accused of conspiracy to fell timber in the Bosomtwe Forest Reserve without authority.

Emmanuel Frimpong, a chainsaw operator and his accomplice, Ebenezer Acheampong, a farmer, pleaded guilty to all charges.

The Prosecutor, Detective Inspector Stephen Ofori, told the court that further checks revealed the accused persons have fallen six trees and cut same into lumber for an estimated amount of GHC3,400.

He said the activities of the suspects had caused damage to the environment, and will require the Forestry Commission an amount of GHC7, 400 to restore the destroyed vegetation.

Ebenezer Acheampong was however granted bail by the court due to ill-health and would report back for his sentence.

Bekwai District Forestry Commission Manager, George Agbenoshie, who confirmed the incident to Citi News also appealed to the judiciary to continue applying custodial sentences on persons who engage in illegal chainsaw operations.

He maintained that spot fines were not deterrent enough to halt activities of illegal loggers in the area.

In a related development, the same court presided over by same judge sentenced a farmer from Merepabeba near Nkoranza in the Adansi South District to six months imprisonment and fine of Ghc 1200.

Yaw Sakyi, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was arrested by the Rapid Response team of the Bekwai Forestry Commission at the Dampai Forest when he was felling the Danta tree with a chainsaw machine.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The five “galamseyers’’ were arrested by the National Anti-galamsey Task-Force at Abodom in the Bekwai District, and granted bail by the court on September 6, 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”224XdOKbdIOVHVgcODYnVFVo26BUcryr”]The names of the suspects as provided by the task-force are Huang Shang Gao, 54; Huang Yang Gang, 36; Lin Gang Sheng, 48; Lu Yan Shan and Yan Shao Gao, 35.

According to a source close to the task-force, some of it members and policemen from the Bekwai Divisional Command went on an operation in the Abodom area, during which they found the five Chinese who had previously been arrested at the same location for alleged illegal mining.

It said the task-force seized quantities of freshly washed sand substances suspected to contain gold, 50 BB cartridges and some solid materials suspected to be gold.

Investigations

The source said a certified gold merchant later confirmed the solid metallic substance to be pure gold which weighed 45.65 grammes.

The suspects and the seized items have been handed over to the Bekwai Divisional Police Command for further investigations and prosecution.

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Source: Graphic.com.gh

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He looks determined in the photo, doesn’t he?

On Tuesday, 24 hours before he beat Anthony Mundine, Clottey summed up why he had been so focused for the bout.

“I can’t talk for him,’’ he said. ‘‘After the fight he can choose. It is my time to shine in Australia. This fight is very important for both of our careers. A loss and you have to push again. A win will take you to the right spot.”

“I am expecting his best. I really wanted to fight this fight to let them know I am still there.”

And he did.

Why was the fight so important?

The Ghanaian has had two fights in the past three years — both wins — and needed a fight that could propel him back into the stratosphere of Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, who he fought in 2010 and 2009.

It’s understood Andrade was the carrot dangled at the end of a Clottey bout, so Mundine bit.

Joshua Clottey, whose nicknames also include “The Grandmaster”, went down under (Australia) and fought like a man on a mission against the hometown hero.

Long before the final ding dong belled Mundine after 12 rounds, everyone knew Clottey was the new WBA International Junior Middleweight champion.

From the onset, Clottey smothered Mundine, who goes by the name “The Man.”

The man from Accra attacked relentlessly and soon floored his foe in the 3rd round – the first of five knockdowns.  The battery went on with Clottey scoring two more knockdowns in the 6th, and one in each the 8th round and 10th round.

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CLICK HERE FOR FULL BOUT REPORT

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE BOUT
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Next up for Joshua?

This was the most significant win for Clottey since his World Championship victory over Zab Judah in 2008, for the IBF Welterweight crown.

“I am thrilled that Joshua was victorious today,” said Star Boxing CEO and Founder Joe DeGuardia, who handles Clottey’s promotions.

“I knew when I signed Joshua to a promotional agreement he would still be a major force in the Jr. Middleweight division.  Joshua has the ability to defeat any junior middleweight in the world and this win sets up potentially major fights for Joshua with the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, and my Jr. Middleweight champion, Demetrius Andrade.

“I am looking forward to Joshua’s journey back to the World Championship.”

So there you go, those are the prime targets for the Accra man.

But the one Clottey really wants among the lot is ten years his junior – Demetrius Andrade. An undefeated 26-year-old American, Andrade  (20-0, 13KO) is one of the top contenders for Mayweather’s welterweight crown. 

He is the one both Mundine and Clottey wanted after Wednesday’s bout. This is he.

As is the case in boxing, often when there seems to be a clear way, a small fact muddles the waters.

In this case, Clottey is promoted by Joe DeGuardia, the same man who looks after Andrade. This means that DeGuardia will have to raise a double purse if he pits both his fighters against each other. It’s not something any promoter likes to do.

What is clear is that Clottey and DeGuardia are going to bring good things to Star Boxing.

A victory against Clottey would have been impressive for Mundine, but a fight against Andrade would have put Mundine on Mayweather’s radar, particularly as both are desperate to fight the richest man in sport.

In short, Clottey is now closer to Mayweather than before he was on Wednesday.

Andrade recently declared he would “take over boxing after Mayweather retires”, and defends his WBO light middleweight belt in June against Brian Rose.

Now that Clottey looks very attractive, should Andrade prevail in two months’ time, a showdown is likely and would put the winner into the upper echelons of matchmaking discussion.

For boxing promoters, Clottey is labelled as one who dines with world champions. After all, his only career losses (four) have been against some of the best fighters of the past decade – Zab Judah, Margarito, Cotto and Pacquiao.

Follow @garyalsmith

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