‘Galamseyer’ demands to be sent to hospital

There were interesting scenes on the premises of the Accra Circuit Court yesterday when a Ukrainian standing trial for engaging in illegal mining (galamsey) told the police to send him to hospital.

Genadly Rubec, who is among four Russians and Ukrainians alleged to be deeply involved in galamsey at Tontokrom in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region, demanded to be sent to hospital as he was being escorted by the police to a waiting vehicle that was to transport him to custody.

“Give me transport; I need to go to hospital,’’ he said, holding his head to indicate that he was sick.

Earlier, Rubec and his three compatriots — Farid Isaev, Vadim Potokin and Serhii Chepurnly — had pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and undertaking small-scale mining without licence, contrary to Section 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (ACT 703).

The four accused persons gave their pleas in Russian, which was translated by an interpreter

Bail application

At yesterday’s hearing, the lawyer for the four alleged illegal miners, Mr Emmanuel K. Darko, pleaded with the court to grant his clients bail because they were sick.

The presiding judge, Mr Aboagye Tandoh, then asked counsel whether all the four accused persons were sick, to which counsel answered that three were sick.

Mr Darko further impressed on the court to grant the bail because, according to him, all attempts to get them medical care in detention had proved futile.

“Their continued detention will increase the severity of their illness,’’ he said.

According to him, his clients would not interfere with investigations when granted bail and also they had competent people to stand surety on their behalf.

“In the interest of justice, please exercise your discretion and grant the four accused persons bail,’’ Mr Darko pleaded.

Prosecution response

The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Cletus Abadanlowra, however, pleaded with the court not to grant bail because investigations were still ongoing.

On the issue of ill-health, he said the four accused persons did not show the court any record of ill-health.

After listening to the two sides, the court adjourned the case to June 14, 2017 to rule on the bail application and remanded the accused persons in police custody.

Facts

DSP Abadanlowra informed the court that Isaev, Potokin and Chepurnly were engineers of a mining company, Geo Professional Service, while Rubec was the site manager of the same company.

The company, he said, operated a small-scale mining concession at Tontokrom, despite the fact that such mining operations were reserved for Ghanaians under the Minerals and Mining Act.

Also, any form of small-scale mining, he explained, had been banned by the government until further notice due to the destructive nature of illegal mining.