4 Chinese nationals deported over galamsey

• This comes after they were arrested for engaging in illegal small scale mining

• Their Ghanaians counterpart, Asamoah Kati was also arrested with them on site

A Kumasi High Court has convicted four Chinese nationals for their involvement in illegal mining activities widely known as galamsey on a 40-acre land belonging to Seidu Fanzia School at Adaase within the Obuasi municipality.

The four; Shi Li Wen, Huang Shen Jun, Li DeHao and Lan Hai Song have been deported for working without required permits as well as using fraudulent means to validate their residence in Ghana.

They were arrested together with their Ghanaian accomplice, Asamoah Kati after Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe granted an absconding warrant.

According to the presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe, “The four Chinese citizens who have all violated sections 23(1) and 35(1, d) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573) of Ghana, found working by prospecting for gold on the disputed site at Obuasi, are to be deported to their country of origin by this court and are hereby deported."

He noted that these illegal miners were working under the protection of gunmen.

Earlier, the four had failed to meet a bail condition of GH₵200,000 each with two sureties and a request by their lawyer, Benjamin Andoh, for variation was thrown out.

The convicts failed to meet the bail condition of GH¢200,000 each with two sureties. This led the court to order them to submit their passports and work permits for fear of absconding before the final determination of the case.

The four convicts have been in prison custody since April 19, 2021, until Thursday, June 3, when the court ordered their deportation.

“The retention slip numbers and dates on which the passports were retained creates much suspicion as to when they applied for renewals of their resident and work permits and when they were arrested at their site on April 19, 2021... I Number 0223059 issued on 08/03/20221. II Number 0223060 issued on 23/02/2021. III Number 0223061 issued on 03/03/2021.”

“Strangely, slip number 0223060 was issued on February 23, 2021, as the first one. The second to be issued was number 0223061 on March 3, 2021, and the last to be issued was number 0223059, which is the earliest serially but was the last to be issued on March 8, 2021,” the court said.

Presiding Judge, His Lordship Justice Amedahe blamed officials at the Kumasi office of the Ghana Immigration Service for deliberately accepting applications of the convicts against their mandates.

He noted that such applications are only done at the National Headquarters.

He, therefore, called on the Interior Minister to reconsider the use of the discretion of the Immigration officers in granting resident permits to foreigners who arrive in the country on 60 days, B1 visas.

Meanwhile, the plaintiffs, Borometech Construction Company Limited, Seidu Fanzia School and Samuel Aboagye are seeking compensation and reliefs including the restoration of a mini development of land estimated at GH₵500,000.00.