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Fifty-one individuals who are alleged to have attacked employees of Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL) and destroyed properties belonging to the company have appeared before District Court B in Tarkwa.
The accused persons were arrested in batches, and their pleas have not yet been taken. The Prosecutor, Superintendent of Police, Juliana Essel-Dadzie, requested that the court remand the accused persons for two weeks to enable them to complete their investigations that were underway.
She explained that due to the number of individuals arrested so far, releasing anyone on bail would interfere with their investigation, adding that “We need more time to probe further into the case. This will help us deal solely with only those involved in the crime and free the innocent persons.”
The accused persons would be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and other offences, Superintendent Essel-Dadzie informed the court. Eight of the accused persons requested that the court grant them bail. Their counsels, Bright Baiden and Jacob Acquah-Sampson, told the court that “Our clients have been in police custody for a while and since they have intelligent and competent officers, they should have completed their investigation. Our clients provide the income that their respective families live on and life is becoming unbearable for them.”
After listening to both parties, Justice Isaac Osei Asare stated that he would rule on the bail application on Friday, April 14, 2023. The court also remanded all the accused persons into prison custody to re-appear on the same date.
Meanwhile, the Group Corporate Affairs Manager of GSWL, Mr Gerard Boakye, who was present in court with some employees after proceedings, told the media, “We have not gotten into the case yet mainly because the police requested for more time to engage the suspects because the first set of suspects they arrested paved the way to apprehend more, so I think all is in line with making sure that people are not wrongfully judged.”
He added that “We have no problem with the proceedings because we are a law-abiding company, we also believe in the human rights of people, we work and fight for that, so we are not disturbed that the law will take its course.”
On Thursday, March 16, 2023, some illegal miners from Subriso in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region attacked employees of GSWL over illegal mining activities at one of the company’s concessions.
The illegal miners injured some employees, smashed the windscreens of 22 dumper trucks, and set ablaze 12 vehicles which included excavators, ambulances, land cruisers, pick-ups and part of the administrative block of the company.