Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi
The Office of the Attorney General (AG) has closed its case in the trial of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, who is accused of facilitating others to mine on his Akonta Mining concession at Samreboi without lawful authority.
This followed the completion of the cross-examination of the fourth prosecution witness yesterday by Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for Wontumi and his company.
The case pushed by the four prosecution witnesses primarily focused on the accusation that Wontumi allowed others to mine on his concession without seeking the approval of the minister designated for the sector as required by law.
Wontumi’s defence through the cross-examination of the witnesses sought to establish that there is no document to indicate that Wontumi or his company permitted any person to enter the land to mine.
They further sought to indicate that any person seen on the land may be there illegally as confirmed by Henry Okum, one of the witnesses that the concession had been invaded by illegal miners in the past.
Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, told the court yesterday that the prosecution had closed its case, leaving the court to discharge the fourth and final witness.
Mr. Appiah-Kubi then prayed the court to give the defence adequate time to prepare and file a submission of no case to answer on behalf of Wontumi and Akonta Mining Company Limited.
“This is a very technical case, so, we pray for four weeks’ adjournment to be able to marshal all the materials necessary to prepare our motion for the court’s determination,” he pleaded with the court.
The court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, in a ruling, indicated that it is trite in criminal jurisprudence that the accused person has a right to exercise at the end of prosecution and, therefore, counsel for accused person is very much aware of the tools he has to put together for case management or when the trial starts.
That notwithstanding, the court said it will give adequate time to the accused to file his submission.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay therefore, gave Wontumi and Akonta Mining Company Limited 14 days within which to file the submission of case.
The court subsequently adjourned the case to February 18, 2026.
Allegations
Wontumi is on trial on allegations he permitted other individuals to undertake mining on his Akonta Mining concession at Samreboi in the Western Region without a written approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
He has been charged with one count of assignment of mineral rights without approval, and another count of purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
His company, Akonta Mining and another person identified as Kwame Antwi, who is on the run, have been charged with the same offences.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted a bail of GH¢15 million by the court.
He is to provide three sureties, two of whom must be justified with landed property within the jurisdiction.
Wontumi was further ordered to deposit his passport(s) with the registrar of the court. The court has also placed him on the Stop List at all entry points of the country.
The prosecution’s brief fact indicates that the police had arrested Michael Ayisi Gyasi, a 50-year-old and 28 others within Akonta Mining’s concession in Samreboi on April 17, 2025, following an operation.
During the arrest, the police retrieved several items, including eight (8) pump action guns, one (1) single-barreled gun, five (5) pieces of metal suspected to be gold concealed in a sachet, four (4) machetes, several water pumping machines, 310 AAA/BB cartridges, and one (1) grease gun.
Others include four (4) motorcycles, two (2) vehicles, 25 serviceable excavators, four (4) non-serviceable excavators and GH¢157,000 cash.
The prosecution says it will pray the court at the end of the trial for a forfeiture order in respect of all items of value retrieved from the concession.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak