Court orders bribe money paid into government chest

The Nkawie Circuit Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya District in the Ashanti Region has ordered that money being used by four ‘galamsey’ operators who attempted to bribe officials of the Forestry Division in the Nkawie District  be paid into government chest.

The GH¢3,000 was being used by the operators to influence the forestry officials to allow them to engage in illegal mining in the Desire Forest Reserve near Tepa.

The court, presided over by Mr William Boampong Eso, also ordered Akosa Sarpong, Nana Osei Kwadwo, Nana Kwame Darko and Antoa Mensah, who had early on admitted committing the offence, to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months’ or in default serve six months imprisonment.

The four galamsayers, on  August 30, 2013, went to office of the Nkawie District Forestry Department and offered GH¢3, 000 in a brown envelop to the forestry officials to condone their illegal mining activities in the Desire Forest Reserve.

The four said when the deal had been sealed, they would pay the same amount of GH¢3,000 or more every month to the district forest officials.

Unfortunately, the Nkawie District Forest Manager, Mr Stephen Asamoah Duah, did not accept their request and with the consent of one of his deputies - Mr Mark Aidoo, and his accountant, Mrs Afua Attaa, invited a police officer from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to feign as the Range Supervisor.

In the process, the four paid GH¢3,000 to the police officer and it was after the police officer had received the money that he introduced himself to them and had them arrested and put before court.

By Joseph Kyei-Boateng/The Mirror/Ghana