Atiwa East DCE appeals contempt conviction by Koforidua High Court

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atiwa East, Ernest Owusu Ntim, has filed an appeal challenging a contempt conviction handed to him by the Koforidua High Court earlier this week.

Mr Owusu Ntim and three others were fined a total of GH¢12,000 after the court found that they had allegedly breached an order restraining parties from entering a disputed parcel of mining land.

The DCE insists the ruling is “wholly unfounded”, maintaining that he never stepped onto the contested site, despite the judge’s indication that video evidence allegedly placed him there. His appeal seeks to overturn both the finding of contempt and the accompanying sanction, which he argues are inconsistent with his commitment to due process and the rule of law.

He has vowed to pursue the matter through the appellate system, saying he is prepared to take the case “all the way to the Supreme Court” to clear his name.

The contempt proceedings were triggered by a complaint from a miner known locally as Abeiku, described in the area as a notorious illegal miner who has become increasingly difficult for authorities to rein in. The dispute centres on mining land lying along the boundary between Ankaase and Asamang Tamfoe, an area that has become a flashpoint in the wider galamsey crisis.

Earlier this year, traditional leaders led by Osabarima Kwame Koh, Chief of Asamang Tamfoe, held a press conference calling for Abeiku’s arrest. They accused him of supervising the destruction of more than 13 hectares of farmland through illegal mining, and rejected his claims that the land fell under the authority of the Chief of Ankaase, insisting instead that it lies within Asamang Tamfoe’s traditional jurisdiction.

Tensions escalated further when over 70 affected farmers reportedly marched to the mining site to confront Abeiku and his workers, demanding an immediate halt to operations.

Atiwa East has long been regarded as one of the districts hardest hit by illegal mining activities. In response, Mr Owusu Ntim says the Assembly has stepped up enforcement, working with a dedicated taskforce that frequently meets resistance from illegal miners and their financiers.

As part of new measures on the Birim River, the DCE has authorised taskforces to deploy gas welders to cut up chanfan boats and other equipment used in riverine mining. He argues that merely burning or disabling engines is insufficient, as they are relatively cheap and easily replaced.

By contrast, he notes, the floating platforms that carry the engines can cost between GH¢80,000 and GH¢100,000. Once dismantled and reduced to scrap, he says, it becomes far harder for operators to resume work at the same scale.

Mr Owusu Ntim maintains that this tougher approach is already acting as a stronger deterrent in Atiwa East’s ongoing fight against illegal mining, even as he battles to overturn the contempt ruling linked to the very lands at the centre of that fight.