The Koforidua High Court has sentenced the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Atiwa East, Ernest Ntim, to eight days in prison for contempt of court in connection with his alleged involvement in illegal mining activities.
The contempt proceedings arose from an ongoing illegal mining (galamsey) case involving a disputed parcel of land within the Atiwa East Municipality. A miner, who is the applicant in the case, filed the contempt application in May 2025, alleging that the MCE had flouted a court order restraining all parties from entering or carrying out any activity on the land while a substantive suit was pending.
According to the applicant, despite the injunction, the MCE allegedly entered the disputed land and was linked to continued mining activities, prompting the court action.
Court documents indicate that the injunction barred the MCE and other persons from accessing the land, grading or removing soil, digging pits or ditches, engaging in any form of mining, or dealing with the land in any manner whatsoever.
After considering the application and subsequent proceedings, the Koforidua High Court found the MCE in contempt of court. The court sentenced him to eight days’ imprisonment but later commuted the custodial sentence to a fine of GH₵15,000.
The substantive land and mining dispute remains pending before the court, with further hearings expected to continue.
