The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison alongside his company, Akonta Mining Limited.
The court handed down the verdict on Monday, 20 July 2026, after finding Wontumi and Akonta Mining guilty on six counts relating to the assignment of mineral rights without ministerial approval and deliberately facilitating unlawful mining operations.
Counsel for the defense had earlier appealed for leniency, urging the court to temper justice with mercy and impose the minimum penalty on the grounds that Wontumi was a first-time offender.
However, the trial judge sentenced the politician to a 20-year custodial term for his role in the illegal mining infractions.
Details of the conviction
Justice Kocuvie-Tay found Wontumi guilty on counts one and four for assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and purposefully facilitating unlawful mining. Akonta Mining Limited was similarly convicted on counts three and six.
Following the ruling that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, the court handed Wontumi a fine of 10,000 penalty units per count, while Akonta Mining was fined 15,000 penalty units for each count.
Addressing the unlawful assignment of mineral rights without executive sanction from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the court held that the prosecution successfully established all necessary elements.
Despite defence claims that one Henry Okum was only permitted to reclaim degraded land, Justice Kocuvie-Tay noted that the surrounding circumstances clearly pointed to active mining operations.
The court further lifted Akonta Mining’s corporate veil, ruling that the company lacked a functional board and was under Wontumi’s direct control.
Consequently, the court treated Wontumi as the de facto controller of the mining lease, holding him personally liable. Justice Kocuvie-Tay cited testimony showing Wontumi personally introduced Okum to an individual who helped him acquire an excavator as clear evidence of deliberate facilitation.
Dismissing defence arguments regarding the narrow interpretation of the Minerals and Mining Act and the absence of written agreements, the High Court affirmed that informal arrangements attract criminal liability.
The convictions were secured under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Act 995, which imposes stricter penalties for galamsey-related offences.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
