The Obuasi Circuit Court has ordered the remand of ten individuals into prison custody following their arrest for illegal mining activities conducted directly beneath Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) high-tension poles. The accused persons were apprehended along the Asikasu-Obuasi Highway in the Ashanti Region on April 29, 2026, during a routine operation by a police patrol team from the Jacobu District Police Command.

The group, with ages ranging from 28 to 58, includes Amadu Salifu, Obeng Emmanuel, Isaac Opoku, Madi Akurugu, Munkaila Konlan, Abdul Razak, Alex Owusu, Eric Agyei, Gordon Ampong, and Kofi Opoku.

Appearing before the court presided over by His Honour Eric Danin, all ten suspects entered pleas of not guilty to the charges leveled against them. They are currently facing prosecution for undertaking mining operations without a valid license, a violation of Section 99(2A) of the Minerals and Mining Act.

During the proceedings, Police Prosecutor Chief Inspector Godfred Salifu detailed the circumstances of the arrest, noting that the patrol team encountered the suspects at approximately 3:20 PM on Wednesday.

At the time of the intervention, the accused had already dug several trenches and were actively mining in the immediate vicinity of the critical power infrastructure.

The prosecution emphasized the severe risks posed by these activities, warning that the excavation under the high-tension poles threatened the structural integrity of the pylons.

Such damage, the Chief Inspector noted, could lead to a collapse that would plunge the entire Obuasi and Amansie districts into a total blackout.

Following the pleas, the prosecution requested that the court remand the suspects to provide the police with sufficient time to conclude their ongoing investigations.

Judge Eric Danin granted the request, remanding the 10 men into prison custody.

The case is scheduled to return to court on May 6, 2026.