Romanus Bangter fined GH₵7,200 for gold shop break-in

The Tarkwa Circuit Court has ordered Romanus Bangter, a 19-year-old small-scale miner, to pay a fine of GH 7,200 or face a two-year prison sentence. The ruling follows Bangter's conviction for breaking into a gold buying shop located at Wassa-Nkran. The defendant pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful entry and causing damage when he appeared before the court, leading to the immediate imposition of the financial penalty.

The incident took place on July 18, 2026, targeting a shop owned by Mathias Dagwine. According to the prosecution, Bangter’s illegal activities were interrupted after a witness spotted him at the premises and promptly alerted the owner. Acting on this tip-off, Dagwine and the local unit committee chairman mobilized to apprehend the teenager before handing him over to the police authorities.

During the subsequent investigation, Bangter confessed to the crime and cooperated with law enforcement officers. He reportedly led investigators back to the crime scene, where he provided a step-by-step demonstration of how he gained access to the shop and the damage he caused during the break-in. This admission of guilt formed the basis of the prosecution's case, which the court accepted in its entirety.

The court's decision provides a strict choice for the young miner: he must either settle the GH 7,200 fine or serve the full two-year term of imprisonment. The case underscores the vigilance of local community leaders and residents in Wassa-Nkran in protecting local businesses, particularly gold buying outlets which remain frequent targets for theft in mining districts.