The Attorney-General (A-G) and Minster of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, has expressed concern about long adjournments in some illegal mining cases in courts across the country.
Mr Dame expressed his reservation on the back of recent developments in ongoing proceedings in the circuit and high courts in Sekondi and Takoradi, Western Region.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times on Sunday, Mr Dame, who has made strenuous efforts to prosecute persons engaged in illegal mining, also known as galamsey, said it was his wish that the courts deliver judgement in all galamsey cases before the end of the year 2024.
At the annual conference of Association of Magistrates and Judges (AMJ) on October 2 this year, the Attorney-General implored magistrates and judges to expedite the prosecution of illegal mining cases that come before them.
But, this is a far cry from the reality as some cases have been adjourned to December 2024 and January 2025.
In the case of the Republic versus Issah Musah and others, the Secondi High Court adjourned the case to December 4, 2024, because the counsel for the accused was absent for Case Management Conference (CMC).
The same court also adjourned the Republic versus Mabo Bilitom James and others case to November 27, 2024, due to the change of defence counsel.
In the case of the Republic versus Bernard Yartey and another, which was for commencement of trial before the Secondi High Court ‘2’, the case had been adjourned to January 20, 2025, because the substantive counsel for the accused was absent, while the Republic versus Osman Baba was adjourned to January 22, 2025, for the same reason.
Also adjourned to November 27, 2024 by the Sekondi High Court ‘2’ is the Republic versus Iddrisu Fatawu and others.
The court adjourned the case over a preliminary legal objection raised by the defence counsel due to the absence of an interpreter.
In the case of the Republic versus Asiaba Tawiah and others, the Takoradi Commercial Court “1” adjourned the case to January 9, 2025 for a motion to try the two of the accused in absentia to be moved and (CMC) conducted thereafter.
The Takoradi High Court, Commercial Division “1” adjourned the Republic versus Djabs Bernabe and others to December 19, 2024.
At the next adjourned date, the prosecution would pray for a bench warrant against the accused, who are juveniles and said to jump bail.
In the case of the Republic versus Atinga John and 10 others, the case had been adjourned to December 11, 2024, due to difficulty to procure the services of a Bisa interpreter.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA