Four Chinese nationals who were arrested for illegally mining in Ghana will not be prosecuted in the country.

This is after a High Court in Kumasi ordered their immediate deportation.

Shi Li Wen, Huang When Jun, Li De Hao, and Lan Hai Song were arrested for mining gold on disputed 40-acre land at Adaase within the Obuasi municipality.

They were arrested together with a Ghanaian accomplice, Asamoah Kati, for mining on the land reserved for educational purposes.

The Kumasi High Court presided over by His Lordship, Justice E. Senyo Amedahe, threw the four in jail in a June 3, 2021, judgement after failing to meet a bail condition of GHC200,000.00 each with two sureties.

While in jail they fraudulently tried to renew their documents. “For the above reason the court will not be in the position, legally, to accept their passports as a condition of granting them bail and asking them to be attending court as illegal immigrants,” the judge said.

Meanwhile, the illegal miners arrested in the Atewa Forest have finally been granted bail.

The Koforidua Circuit Court ‘B’ admitted each of them to bail of GHc350,000 with two sureties to be justified, Starrfm.com.gh reports.

It will be recalled that the 32 accused persons took the nation by surprise when they said they were sanctioned to mine in the Atewa forest by the presidency.

They made the bombshell disclosure on Monday, May 24, 2021, after the court presided by Her Honour Mercy Adei Kotei denied them bail.

“You sent us to Ayawaso in the 2020 elections, you sent us to Kumasi to make a show. But today you are calling us thieves,” they stated.

“Meanwhile, it is the office of the President that sent us to the Atewa Forest,” they added.

The Court presided by Her Honour Mercy Adei Kotei granted the 32 accused persons after the prosecution expressed no opposition to their bail request.

Dickson Donkor, an assistant State Attorney, who’s the lead prosecuting officer in the case, told the court during the hearing, that the charge sheet had been substituted, thus, the state has no opposition to plea for bail for the accused by the defence counsel.

In other news, some 28 excavators and 267 chan fans seized from illegal small-scale miners in the River Pra in the Eastern Region have been destroyed by the Operation Halt II team.

The team also destroyed 18 water pumping machines, 2 industrial machines, 18 generator sets, 10 plastic chairs, 5 canoes, 1 wooden accommodation, 8 industrial batteries, 1 platform, and 21 new pumping machines, Classfmonline reported.