Chairman Wontumi slapped with six charges over illegal mining
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been charged alongside two other individuals in relation to illegal mining activities allegedly conducted by Akonta Mining Limited.
The charges against the accused are six counts, which include the assignment of a mining concession without prior written authorisation from the Minister and the facilitation of unlicensed mining operations.
The other two individuals implicated in this matter are Mr. Kwame Antwi, who is currently at large and is identified as a co-owner and director of Akonta Mining, as well as Akonta Mining Limited itself.
These charges stem from activities conducted by the company in Samreboi, located in the Western Region.
Arrests and Interrogations
As outlined in the charge sheet, a state security operation conducted on April 26, 2025, resulted in the arrest of Mr. Michael Ayisi Gyedu and 28 others engaged in mining activities on the Akonta Mining concession.
During questioning, Mr. Gyedu reportedly asserted that he had received authorisation from one Mr. Henry Okum to oversee mining operations on the land, which Mr. Okum claimed was under his jurisdiction.
Furthermore, Mr. Gyedu indicated that while he and his team were engaged in reclaiming a previously mined area, they were simultaneously mining in an unmined section of the concession.
Role of Chairman Wontumi
The state contends that Mr. Henry Okum, when interrogated, acknowledged that he sought and received permission from Chairman Wontumi to conduct mining operations within the Samreboi concession, believing that it belonged to the Chairman.
Investigators assert that Chairman Wontumi granted this permission without first securing the legally mandated approval from the Minister responsible for mining, as required by law.
Seized Items
During the operation, authorities confiscated a variety of items from the concession, including:
– Eight (8) pump-action guns
– One (1) single-barreled gun
– Five (5) metal pieces suspected to be gold, concealed in a sachet
– Four (4) machetes
– Several water pumping machines
– 310 AAA/BB cartridges
– One (1) grease gun
– Four (4) motorcycles
– Two (2) vehicles
– Cash amounting to GHS 157,000
– Twenty-five (25) serviceable excavators
– Four (4) non-serviceable excavators
The prosecution further indicated that, upon conclusion of the trial, it intends to petition the court for a forfeiture order concerning all valuable items recovered from the site.