By: Nana Kwame Bediako
Justice Anthony Kwofie has stirred the conversation on illegal mining (galamsey), calling on the judiciary to effectively monitor the havoc being caused by the activities of illegal miners and duly serve punishments to the culprits.
He made this call during his appearance before Parliament’s Appointment Committee on December 20, 2023. The Justice of the Appeals Court, Justice Anthony Kwofie, bemoaned the gravity of destruction galamsey has brought to the country and asked that the Judiciary keenly monitor it and ensure effective punishment on culprits of the act.
Justice Anthony Kwofie gave some key takes on the worrying Illegal mining(galamsey) situation facing the country’s economic system which is causing lots of havoc in the progress and development in the country. He distinguished that, the Supreme Court he has been appointed to serve, does not sit on galamsey cases and therefore called the other trial courts to take keen interest in issues that involves galamsey and appropriately dal with it.
“The Supreme Court is not a trial court in that sense so the “galamsey” cases will not come to the Supreme Court”.
“When the accused persons are found guilty, the Judiciary should impose harsh sentencing on which I agree should be done because of the environmental hazards it causes to our river bodies and farmlands”, he said.
Justice Anthony Kwofie is among three Judges appointed by President Akufo-Addo to constitute the Justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana
