A Justice of the Supreme Court, Paul Kwadwo Baffoe-Bonnie says officials of National Security approached Chief Justice (CJ) Kwasi Anin Yeboah with a plea to convince judges not to allow illegal miners (galamseyers) to go scot-free whenever they are arrested and brought before the court.
According to him, National Security officials who approached the CJ, were of the view that the judges do not really know what is going on, so when the police and soldiers go out and arrest galamseyers, they should not allow them to go scot free.
He said this whilst representing the Chief Justice at the 4th Seminar & Annual General Meeting held by the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana (LiSAG) in Accra, yesterday, Wednesday 26th October, 2022.
The meeting was under the theme: “Changing phase of cadastral surveying for effective land management.”
He said: “… seriously speaking, there was a time that the National Security came to the Chief Justice and while we were jaw-jawing and discussing what exactly should be done, they came with a plea to the Chief Justice that we should talk to the judges, and that the judges don’t really know what is going on.So when the police and soldiers go out and arrest galamseyers, who are actually causing lot of havoc, the judges allow them to go scot free or fine them.”
He also added, “So I asked them what becomes of the official who allowed Aisha Huang to go away without being tried at all, because she is a Chinese. That is food for thought for all of us.”
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie suggested that although some sections of the public have called for the declaration of a state of emergency, he strongly believes that a ban should be placed on the issuance of Licenses either to small scale legitimate mining or medium to large scale mining companies.
With the gathering cheering him on with loud applause, he postulated that “it is difficult to know who is a legitimate licensed miner and who is a galamseyer. Stop issuing license and stop or ban…maybe apart from the Obusai, Prestea, whatever, recognized gold miners or the companies. Akonta or whatever it is, everybody should just be banned for now so that we can have some sanity.”
In the speech that he read on behalf of the CJ, he said the judiciary is ready to accept some of the Licensed Surveyors to its course, so that they can assist the judges to understand the site plan,as well as to conduct their independence enquiries in land cases.
He added that Licensed Surveyors can help create land litigated database that would augment judgments from different courts on the same piece of land.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie indicated that the Supreme Court has devised a solution to the situation, whereby individuals are manipulating the justice system to secure several judgments from different courts over the same piece of land.
The President of the Association, Mr Larbi Darko, on his part called on the members to incorporate modern technology in their practice.
He also called on traditional leaders to deal with the association members as they are registered with the Land Commission, in order to reduce land litigations in the country.
