Ghana opposition politician jailed 20 years for illegal mining

Ghana has sentenced a senior opposition politician to 20 years in prison after convicting him on charges linked to illegal mining, Joy FM reported.

An Accra High Court found Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party, guilty on counts including assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and deliberately facilitating illegal mining activities, the Accra-based radio broadcaster said.

The case stems from a police operation launched last year to crack down on small-scale illegal mining, a practice known locally as galamsey, which has polluted rivers, degraded forests and become a major political issue in Africa’s top gold producer.

A spokesman for the party didn’t respond to phone calls seeking comment.

(By Ekow Dontoh)