By Hafsatu Z Bangura
Police have arrested and charged to court two Ghanaian nationals to court over alleged illegal mining activity in the northern part of Sierra Leone.
Edison Hogo and Moses Saba have appeared in court on Monday 7th February2022.
According to police records, both nationals were involved in illegal mining activity along the Pampana River in Tonkolili district.
They were arrested on January 21 by a team of police officers according to court records and have been in police custody ever since.
The two nationals appeared before Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone on two counts charge of conspiracy to defraud the Sierra Leone government, and undertaking environmental project without valid environmental impact assessment license.
At the arraignment in court the two nationals did not plead guilty to the offence because it was a preliminary hearing been held at the magistrate court level.
The police officers who made the arrest were headed by northeast region operations officer Assistant Superintendent of police Augustine Kargbo, court records reads.
According to the charge sheet both Hogo and Saba on diverse dates between 2021 and January 21 2022, at the Pampana River in Mayata village, Kholifa Rowalla Chiefdom, conspired together with other persons unknown to defraud the government of Sierra Leone by undertaking a mining project without license, the charge sheet reads.
Police said that the team of law enforcement personnel was along the Pampana River in Tonkolili district when they found Hogo and Saba in the same area engaging in illegal mining at Mayata village. According to police they said the two men identified themselves as Ghanian Nationals and that they are in the country to do mining.
But police say the two men contravened the laws of Sierra Leone, especially section 23 of the Environmental protection Agency Act of 2008.
But according to police the two ghanian nationals contravened the laws of Sierra Leone, as they were without valid mining license and also engaged in an environmental project without a valid environmental assessment license.
During their arraignment, defense lawyers for both accused Osman Kamara and Ibrahim Kargbo pleaded for bail for both accused persons.
Magistrate Jah granted bail to both accused in the sum 100Million and two sureties.
The sureties must be residents of Makeni city and that the two Ghanaian nationals must surrender all travelling documents to the judiciary including their passports Magistrate Jah ordered.
Sgt Bai Koroma (7742) prosecuted the matter; the matter has been adjourned to February 15 2022.