The establishment of special tribunals will significantly expedite the prosecution of illegal mining offenders and strengthen Ghana’s fight against galamsey, the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has said.
Mr Ofosu Kwakye made the assertion on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, when he addressed the media during the Government Accountability Series.
According to him, Cabinet considered the introduction of special tribunals to fast-track illegal mining cases without compromising due process or the rights of accused persons.
“The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice is working towards setting up special courts. Indeed, Cabinet has considered the introduction of tribunals. That is one of the ways by which we can hasten the process without undermining due process or unfairly trampling on the rights of accused persons,” he stated.
He revealed that thousands of individuals engaged in illegal mining activities are currently in police custody, with many already standing trial, while charges have been prepared against others awaiting prosecution.
Mr Ofosu Kwakye also announced plans to tighten provisions in the Minerals and Mining Act to make it impossible for any individual to mine in forest reserves.
“Efforts will be made to tighten the laws in the Minerals and Mining Act to ensure that nobody can mine in a forest reserve,” he said.
He further explained that government has introduced strict controls to regulate the importation and use of excavators, noting that the previous system allowed individuals to import heavy-duty equipment under the guise of lawful mining, only to deploy them for illegal activities.
“There is now a process to regulate the influx of excavators so that you cannot simply import one under the pretext of lawful activity and end up engaging in illegal mining,” he noted.
As part of enforcement efforts, Mr Ofosu Kwakye said several excavators have been seized and destroyed, while others remain in the custody of security agencies. He added that equipment such as water pumps and generators seized from illegal mining sites have been donated to farmers for legitimate agricultural use.
“We have seized excavators, water pumps and generators and donated some of these to farmers for lawful activity. A lot of work has been done,” he said.
However, the Minister admitted that more must be done, particularly in restoring polluted water bodies to safe standards for human consumption.
“We are the first to admit that more needs to be done, especially to bring back our water bodies to the desired quality that will be safe for human consumption,” he said.
Mr Ofosu Kwakye underscored that the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) remains the main vehicle through which Cabinet is coordinating the national response to illegal mining, describing galamsey as a growing threat to the country’s environment, water security and public health.
“NAIMOS remains the arrowhead through which Cabinet is pursuing this unlawful activity that has become a threat to all of us,” he added.
By: Christian Kpesese
