Ghanaian Sentenced For Illegal Activities
By Cornelius Eku Randall
Ghanaian national, Lawal Mensah, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison and fined NLe 10,000 by Magistrate Sorie Momoh Sesay at the Kamakwie Magistrates Court. Mensah was found guilty on Wednesday, 21st August 2024, on two charges: engaging in illegal activities in a protected area, violating Section 12 of the National Protected Area Authority and Conservation Trust Fund Act (2022), and mining in a protected area, in violation of Section 7 of the Wildlife Conservation Act (1972), as amended.
Mensah was apprehended within the Outamba Kilimi National Park (OKNP) by the NPAA law enforcement team during one of their routine patrols. The patrols are supported by the EU-funded OKKPS project aimed at protecting the park’s natural resources.
During the prosecution, Dauda Laingay Bangura Esq. explained that Mensah had been found dredge mining in the park’s waterbody, an illegal activity within protected zones. He emphasized that no individual or group is allowed to operate in or around the OKNP, reaffirming the NPAA’s commitment to preventing unlawful activities in Sierra Leone’s protected areas.
After the sentencing, Barrister Bangura praised the magistrate for the ruling, which he referred to as a landmark judgment, setting a judicial precedent for future cases related to protected areas. Mensah will serve his sentence at the Port Loko Correctional Centre.
