The Tarkwa District Court One has sentenced a 21-year-old galamsey operator (illegal miner), Kwadwo Asenso Godden, to a day’s imprisonment for stealing a gold detector machine worth GH¢13,000.

Aside from the sentence, the court presided over by Mr Charles Owusu Nsiah ordered Godden to pay a fine of GH¢ 1,200 or in default serve three months in prison in hard labour.

He pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and stealing.

Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Enoch Assan-Donkoh, told the court that the complainant, Rambow Benjamin, and the convict resided at Atwereboanda, a community in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.

The complainant after the day’s work kept his gold detector machine in his room at Atwereboanda, but on October 20, 2024, he detected that the machine had been stolen.

Sergeant Assan-Donkoh said through the complainant’s enquiries, he had information that Godden stole the gold detector machine and, therefore, reported the matter to the police, and he was picked up.

The prosecution said when Godden was interrogated at the police station, he confessed to the crime and led the duty bearers to an abandoned uncompleted building at Atwereboanda where he apparently hid the gold detector machine, and it was retrieved.