Atiwa East DCE fined for contempt in Koforidua galamsey land dispute

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atiwa East in the Eastern Region, Ernest Ntim, has been fined GH₵12,000 by the Koforidua High Court 2 after being found in contempt in an ongoing illegal mining case.

The ruling, delivered on Monday, 15 December 2025, follows a contempt application filed by a miner who is in a legal tussle with the DCE over a parcel of land on which mining activities were taking place.

In May 2025, the applicant secured an interim injunction restraining Mr Ntim and others from entering or dealing with the disputed land.

The order barred them from:

Going onto the land;

Grading or removing soil;

Digging pits or ditches;

Engaging in any form of mining activity; or

Interfering with the land in any manner.

Despite this, the applicant alleges that the DCE, his brothers and another person—described in court papers as illegal miners operating in the Atiwa East District—returned to the site and continued galamsey operations, prompting the contempt action.

According to the affidavit in support of the application, one of the DCE’s brothers was confronted at the site on 2 May 2025 and is alleged to have said that his brother had been nominated as DCE and, once confirmed, “no one, not even the courts could interfere” with their activities and that “even judges will become the subordinates of the DCE”.

The applicant further claimed that after a complaint was lodged with the Eastern South Regional Police Command at Kyebi and arrests were made at the site, Mr Ntim confronted him, insisting those arrested were his workers.

Court documents say the DCE allegedly warned that if the complaint was not withdrawn and he was confirmed as DCE, he would change the ownership of the land and claim it as his own.

The applicant also maintains that Mr Ntim endorsed his brother’s remarks about judges becoming his subordinates and urged him to allow the mining to continue “quietly”.

The affidavit argued that the conduct of the DCE and the other respondents was wilful, deliberate and calculated to interfere with the administration of justice, and to undermine the authority of the court while the substantive land and mining dispute was pending.

After several adjournments, the High Court found Mr Ntim in contempt and imposed the GH₵12,000 fine.

The underlying suit over ownership and mining rights to the land is still before the Koforidua High Court and is expected to continue in the coming weeks.