Four miners granted GH¢200,000 bail

The Enchi District Magistrate Court has granted bail to four men. The bail amount is GH¢200,000. They face charges of conspiracy, attempted crime, and abetment.

The accused are Solomon Obour Mensah, 36; David Abankwa, 32; Stephen Awinguda, 26; and Collins Gyan, 31. They are miners and a driver from Samreboi in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality.

Their pleas have not been taken yet. They are scheduled to return to court on April 28, 2025.

Police Detective Chief Inspector Joseph Kwadwo Agyare prosecuted the case. He informed the court that on March 2, 2025, at about 10:20 PM, police received a tip-off. The accused were allegedly planning to rob a gold mining site near Enchi.

On March 3, police officers were deployed to the location. They laid an ambush with security personnel from the mining company. At around 11:00 AM, security noticed Abankwa and Awinguda lingering nearby. Their explanations were unconvincing, so they were apprehended.

About 20 minutes later, gunshots were heard in the area. Police advanced towards the sound and found a gunfire exchange happening. Mensah and his accomplices were hiding in the bushes but managed to escape.

When police arrived, the robbers opened fire on them. The police returned fire but could not catch them. Afterward, they found a Tecno mobile phone at the scene with Mensah's photo as its screensaver.

While in custody, Abankwa confessed that Gyan sent him for this robbery attempt. Later that day around 7:20 PM, police received another tip from Samreboi. It stated that Mensah sought medical treatment for gunshot wounds at Sarmatex Hospital.

Detective Chief Inspector Agyare added that police escorted Mensah back to Enchi. Investigators found a pump-action gun at the scene believed to belong to him. This gun was loaded with three BB cartridges and was retrieved by authorities.