The Koforidua Circuit Court presided over by Her Honour Mercy Adei – Kotei on Tuesday January 9 handed down a 38-year jail term sentence to 13 illegal small scale miners.

Each of them is to serve three years in jail. They were also slapped with a total fine of GHS24,000 each (Gh¢312,000 total).

They are William Agyapong alias (3,3,4), Prince Awuni alias Flower, Bernard Darkwah also known as Totti, Kwaku Adu, Kwame Kodom, Kofi Nketia alias Nkatie and Isaac Amo also known as Kawku Abei. The rest are Kwabena Yaw Boye, Samuel Ayisi alias Star Boy, Samuel Ayisi a.k.a Tugah One, Jonas Ametor, Anthony Lolome and James Narh.

The Assistant State Attorney, Cyril Boateng Keteku, told the court that they were arrested on January 8, 2018 in the Atiwa Forest, mining without license.