The Chief of Kwapia in the Adansi District of the Ashanti Region, Nana Gyamena Kwabena Oyiakwan II, and his Krontihene, Nana Anokye Ababio, have sued the Minerals Commission, Obuasi and two others at the Obuasi High Court for assisting four Chinese nationals to undertake illegal mining activities on a concession that belongs to the chiefs and people of Kwapia without their consent.

In their statement of claim, Nana Oyiakwan and Nana Ababio alleged that the three defendants, including the Obuasi Municipal Assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency, permitted, assisted and encouraged the Chinese to mine.

In a writ filed by their counsel, Nana Obiri Boahene and Associates, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendants benefitted from the sharing of proceeds from the minerals.

The plaintiffs are praying the court to help recover their land and ensure that it is properly reclaimed after the Chinese, who have since been deported, left a number of uncovered dug-outs.

Also, they are seeking compensation and reliefs, including GH¢500,000, for the destruction of the concession.

Background

Last month, the Kumasi High Court, presided over by His Lordship Mr Justice E. Senyo Amedahe, ordered the immediate deportation of four Chinese for mining for gold on a disputed 40-acre land.

The Chinese were Shi Li Wen, Huang When Jun, Li De Hao and Lan Hai Song.

They were arrested together with a Ghanaian accomplice, Asamoah Kati, for mining on the land earmarked for educational purposes with the aid of gunmen providing security for them.

The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants, although not Ghanaians, were facilitated to possess ECOWAS identity cards and Ghana cards and were working without work permits.

In the first ruling, Justice Amedahe appealed to the minister for the Interior to reconsider the use of the discretion of the immigration officers in granting resident permits to foreigners who arrived in the country on 60 days, B1 visas.

"It is a discretion which is being abused by government officials with the assistance of non-government workers largely who unfortunately are Ghanaians, to the benefit of our foreign visitors, leading to the destruction of our environment here in Ghana," he said.