Bernard Antwi-Boasiako aka Wontumi
The Office of the Attorney General yesterday called its first witness in the trial of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, who is accused of facilitating others to mine on his concession at Samreboi without legal authority.
The witness, Michael Gyedu Ayisi, an artisanal miner, in his witness statement which was adopted as his evidence-in-chief, told the court that Wontumi had allegedly given his land to his boss, Henry Okun, to mine on.
“I know that he took over the concession from A1 (Wontumi). I had worked on the concession for eight (8) months prior to my arrest. While working there, I lived in an office building which belonged to A1,” the witness told the court.
According to him, there were two main parts to the concession – the mined parts where some mining had taken place and the unmined parts.
“We mined at the unmined parts. In the mined parts, we planted coconut seedlings to reclaim the land,” he pointed out.
Mr. Ayisi also told the court that his work included supervising mining activities in the unmined portions of the concession, while he also supervised reclamation of the land in the already mined portions and the planting of coconut seedlings.
He said on April 17, 2025, at about 4:30 a.m., he was asleep when he heard a knock on his door, making him to “jump out of sleep.”
He told the court that a team of armed police and military officers entered the room and arrested him and five others who were also sleeping in the room.
“Upon my arrest, I was asked if there were any weapons in the room. I informed them (the policemen) that the company owned some weapons which are all registered in the name of my employer, Henry Okum,” he said.
Mr. Ayisi further indicated that he voluntarily handed over the weapons together with some boxes of ammunitions to the police.
“The police also searched the other offices and retrieved two (2) GPS machines, a laptop, a mobile phone, and an amount of GH¢157,000.00 and five (5) pieces of gold. Some machetes were also retrieved from one of my colleagues. Except for the laptop, all the other items retrieved from the office belonged to my employer, Henry Okum,” he added.
No Personal Knowledge
However, the witness told the court while under cross-examination by Andy Appiah-Kubi that he does not have personal knowledge of Chairman Wontumi transferring the land to Henry Okum to mine on.
He also told the court that he does not have any documentary evidence to support the claim, and that his knowledge on the matter was based on what Henry Okum told him.
“Did your boss Henry Okum show you any document evidencing such a transfer?” Mr. Appiah-Kubi asked.
“I have not seen any such documentary evidence. He said it by word of mouth,” Mr. Ayisi responded.
Mr. Appiah-Kubi further confronted the witness that “you do not have personal knowledge of the facts but relying on what others have told you.”
“What I know about the case is what I have said,” the witness answered.
“And you are also not privy to any deed of assignment between the accused and Mr. Henry Okum?” the lawyer further asked. “That is so. I’ve not seen any document like that,” Mr. Ayisi added.
Meanwhile, the witness has told the court that he does not know Wontumi personally and had only seen him on television.
“I do not know him personally but I’ve seen him on television, and I also know that he is the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP. But I have not had any physical interaction or engagement with him,” he added.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak