Accra: The Accra Circuit Court Eight has remanded four individuals accused of engaging in illegal sand mining activities at Teacher Mantey near Amasaman. The accused, Kofi Atiemo, 38; Ebenezer Tetteh Gyablatey, 32; John Hayford, 48; and Ebenezer Kwafo, 31, have been charged with conspiracy to engage in illegal sand mining and unlawful damage to crops. All four have denied the charges.
According to Ghana News Agency, the court has ordered the accused to reappear on September 24, 2026. Defence lawyers applied for bail, but the prosecution opposed the applications, highlighting the seriousness of the offences and the possibility of the accused absconding if granted bail. The presiding judge agreed with the prosecution, deciding to remand the accused.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Issah Achiburi presented the case facts, stating that the complainants, Francis Okah and Prince Annor, received reports from their land caretakers about the accused unlawfully entering their properties with heavy equipment to extract sand. Okah and Annor, both businessmen, own 4.5 acres and two plots of land, respectively, in the area.
ASP Achiburi detailed that during the alleged illegal activities, the accused damaged Okah's fence wall and Annor's vegetation crops. Despite being confronted by the complainants, Atiemo allegedly failed to cease the activities, prompting a police report. The police then conducted surveillance and arrested the accused at their hideout.
The investigation revealed that sand was being extracted from various spots on the lands, altering the land's nature. CCTV footage from a nearby residence allegedly captured the accused in the act. Additionally, Hayford and Kwafo were reportedly in charge of two tipper trucks used to transport the sand. Atiemo has been identified as the alleged mastermind behind the operations, and efforts are ongoing to arrest other accomplices.