Wontumi (in white) flanked by his lawyers
The Office of the Attorney General (AG) has filed disclosures and statements of witnesses it intends to rely on for the trial of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Chairman Wontumi, and his Akonta Mining Company for allegedly facilitating others to mine without lawful authority.
Although the documents were not served on the accused or his lawyers as at the time the case was called yesterday, Maame Osae Gyamerah, a State Attorney, told the court they were filed on October 31, 2025.
She, therefore, pleaded with the court to adjourn the case to enable the prosecution to serve the accused person and his lawyer.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, the presiding judge, confirmed that the prosecution had filed the disclosures but noted that there was no proof of service on the accused or his counsel. She, therefore, adjourned the case to November 12, 2025, for continuation.
In a related development, the Attorney General has also filed disclosures in the other case before ‘Criminal Court 1’ where Wontumi and three others are standing trial for allegedly entering and undertaking mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve without legal authority.
However, the case had to be adjourned to December 4, 2025, for mentioning because the trial judge, Justice Ruby Aryeetey, who sat during the legal vacation, is on leave.
Wontumi, his company, Edward Akuoko as well as two others were accused of “extreme environmental destruction, including the devastation of approximately 13 hectares of land,” in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve with illegal mining activities.
The prosecution’s brief facts state that despite his company having licence to mine, its application to mine in the forest reserve was refused in August 2022. That notwithstanding, the company allegedly undertook the mining activities.
“To provide housing for the teeming number of persons working for it, A1 (Akonta Mining) put up several makeshift structures across the Forest Reserve,” the facts allege.
The Attorney General has, however, dropped all charges against Akuoko and intends to use him as a prosecution witness against the other accused persons.
Edward Akuoko had been charged with offences including undertaking mining operation without licence, abetting the unauthorised felling of trees in forest reserves, and abetting the unauthorised erecting of building in forest reserve.
“Take NOTICE that the Honourable Attorney-General has, pursuant to Section 59 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960, (Act 30), withdrawn EDWARD AKUOKO, the 4th Accused Person herein, from prosecution in respect of all the charges brought against him in this case,” a notice of withdrawal signed by the Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, read.
This is not the first time the Attorney General has dropped charges against an accused person in order to use them against the others they were initially charged together with.
Last month, the Attorney General dropped all charges against Mildred Donkor, a banker who allegedly conspired with the erstwhile Director-General of National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, to launder “stolen” funds from the Bureau.
Fair Trial
Meanwhile, Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for Chairman Wontumi, has indicated that they “will resist the oppressor’s rule” given the manner in which the Attorney General appears to be “poaching” accused persons to testify against their co-accused, which “suggests that there is intent to undermine the course of justice.”
He, however, indicated that the decision by the Attorney General to drop charges against Akuoko does not affect the defence team, as they are ready to prosecute the case.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak