Atiwa East MCE Ernest Ntim Fined GH¢12,000 for Contempt, Initial Jail Sentence Commuted
- The Atiwa East District Chief Executive, Ernest Ntim, has been fined GH¢12,000 for contempt in an illegal mining case
- Ntim, who is an appointee of President John Mahama, has been accused of threatening to abuse his position atop the local government in the district
- The appointee had been barred from engaging in any form of development or mining activity on a disputed piece of land in the district
The District Chief Executive of Atiwa East in the Eastern Region, Ernest Ntim, has been fined GH¢12,000 for contempt of court in an ongoing illegal mining case.
The contempt application at the Koforidua High Court 2 was filed in May 2025 by a miner who is in a dispute with the DCE over a parcel of land where mining activities were taking place.
Source: Facebook
GBC News reported that the sentence was delivered on Monday, December 15, following multiple adjournments.
Citi News reported that he was first sentenced to eight days in jail before the sentence was commuted.
According to the applicant, although the court had restrained both parties from entering the disputed land, Ntim allegedly went onto the land, prompting the contempt proceedings.
The injunction application sought to restrain Ntim and other persons from entering the land, which is the subject of a substantive suit pending before the court.
It further barred them from grading or removing soil, digging pits or ditches, engaging in any form of mining activity, or dealing with the land in any manner whatsoever.
Court documents state that on May 2, 2025, one of the Ntim’s brothers was confronted at the site.
The brother reportedly claimed he had been nominated for the position of local government head for Atiwa East, and on his confirmation, no one could interfere with their activities.
A complaint was lodged with the Eastern South Regional Police Command at Kyebi on May 2, 2025, while the matter was still pending before the court.
The police subsequently made arrests at the galamsey site.
The application further alleges that after the arrests, Ntim confronted the applicant, saying those arrested were his workers and warning that if the complaint was not withdrawn and he was later confirmed as the District Chief Executive, he would change the ownership of the land and claim it as his own.
Asutifi North MP under fire over galamsey
YEN.com.gh reported that the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, has been barred from travelling outside Accra by the High Court.
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The MP, who is affiliated with the NDC, was alleged to have incited violence against the Director of Operations for the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat. He has denied the allegations and is currently on bail.
Preliminary investigation has established that on November 1, 2025, the NAIMOS Director and his team intercepted illegal miners operating near Bronikrom in the Ahafo Region and arrested some suspects.
While the team were preparing to hand over the suspects to the Hwidiem Police Station, the Addo arrived with a group of men and demanded their release.
Source: YEN.com.gh
