Review Mining/Mineral Act to attract punitive measures – Police

The police have called for the review of the Mineral law to empower the courts to impose harsher punishment on people who flout it.

The Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr. James Kofi Abraham, said existing Mining and Mineral Act 703 of 2006 is so relaxed that offenders of the Act receive lenient punishment, which is not deterrent enough.

The Crime Officer was speaking on the topic “Police in the Enforcement of the Mineral and Mining Law”, at a day’s workshop held by the Minerals Commission for the Industrial Minerals and Small Scale Mining Operators in Takoradi of the Western Region.

It was held on the theme “The Role of Stakeholders in the Protection of our Mineral Resource”.

He expressed worry that illegal miners popularly known as 'galamsey' do not only receive lesser punishment, but have their equipments released to them by the courts.

This, he said, demoralized the police in their efforts to clampdown on the menace, but assured that they would do their best to bring sanity into the system.

He said the illegal mining operators had adopted some strategies such as digging of big holes in their area of operations, to trap security personnel in their efforts to track them down.

Mr. Abraham said, notwithstanding the impediments placed in their way, the police had stepped up their efforts to protecting the national assets and stop depletion of the forest and pollution of river bodies.

Mr. Abraham called for the cooperation of stakeholders to address the problem and expressed regret that people in positions including chiefs, always sought the release of culprits.

Regarding the operation of foreign investors in the mining industry, the crime officer said some foreign investors especially the Chinese come into the country as tourists and later remain to indulge in the illegal mining with some unscrupulous Ghanaians fronting on their behalf.

He therefore stressed the need for thorough investigations into their immigration status before allowing them into the country.

Mr. Desmond Boahen, Chief Inspector of the Minerals Commission, said small scale mining was restricted to Ghanaians and appealed to non citizens who wish go into that area that they must go through the appropriate processes.**