Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi
Former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Mining, George Mireku-Duker, mounted the witness box yesterday and told a High Court in Accra that Akonta Mining Limited’s concession was invaded by illegal miners and a report of same was forwarded to the ministry during his tenure.
According to him, in response to the said encroachment which was prevalent in the Western Region, he led a team of security officers to the said concession to arrest the ‘recalcitrant’ illegal miners who had encroached the land.
“…As a former Minister responsible for mining, a letter purporting to report illegal mining activities on the said concession came to my notice and I therefore, referred the matter to the regional coordinating council to use the security apparatus in the Western Region to clamp down those recalcitrant illegal miners who invaded the said concession,” Mr. Duker told the court yesterday when he appeared as Wontumi’s second defence witness.
His evidence aligns with the prosecutions’ second witness Henry Okum, who told the court that Akonta Mining Limited’s concession was invaded by illegal miners and it took the intervention of the Regional Security Council to drive them away. They however returned.
Wontumi is on trial for allegedly facilitating others to mine on his Akonta Mining Company Limited concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
Encroachment
Mr. Mireku-Duker, in his testimony before the court yesterday, confirmed that Wontumi’s Akonta Mining Limited was invaded by illegal miners and he personally led a security team to the said concession.
“My Lady, I personally led a team of security men to A3’s (Akonta Mining) concession. I led the security team to arrest some of these illegal miners and even paraded them in front of the entrance and some of our media networks took videos of same,” he stated.
He told the court that even as he testified before the court, illegal mining activities are still ongoing in that enclave.
“Before you is George Mireku-Duker who comes from the Western Region and has knowledge of illegal mining activities currently going on in that enclave, and if a drone is thrown in now, my evidence will be clear,” he said.
Reclamation
The former Deputy Minister who served as Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem also told the court that he was aware that Wontumi only gave Henry Okum permission to reclaim the degraded land following the activities of illegal miners.
“There was an award scheme instituted by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources about best mining practices. It was then that Mr. Antwi Boasiako mentioned to me that though he’s not started mining, he has invested in coconut plantation to reclaim the degraded part by illegal miners on his concession,” he disclosed.
Significant Investment
Mr. Mireku-Duker also spoke glowingly of Chairman Wontumi’s significant investment in the mining sector through Akonta Mining Limited “and has done so through legitimate lawful channels.”
He further indicated that the suggestion that Wontumi or his company will jeopardise their mining business or reputation is in his view “impossible and unsupported by the evidence.”
Asked by the Deputy Attorney General (AG), Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, whether he was vouching for the credibility of Wontumi and his company’s mining practices, the witness answered in the negative.
“I indicated clearly that this statement is being made in my capacity as a former Deputy Minister responsible for mining and knowing how difficult it is to acquire a legitimate licence in the mining sector,” he stated.
He added that “having pressed myself of the practical steps one needs to secure a legitimate licence, I can confidently indicate to this honourable court that Mr. Antwi Boasiako invested so much time, energy and self-commitment in abiding with the rules and regulations in acquiring the licence.”
The Deputy AG then asked the witness whether he, as a former Deputy Minister, would vouch for the lawfulness and legitimacy of Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited’s mining activities during his tenure.
The former MP said he would vouch for their acquisition of the lease from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources but cannot vouch for the mining operations at the concession in contention, “because during my tenure, if my memory serves me right, the operational licence and the needed ratification by Parliament had not been secured, therefore cannot vouch the mining operations of Akonta Mining.”
The witness also rejected suggestion that he was not referring to the present trial when he indicated that Wontumi and Akonta Mining did not assign mineral rights to Henry Okum.
“…Undertaking or permitting someone or party to undertake a mining operation could be described as an assignment. And that is different from undertaking reclamation, environmental remediation which is put under mines support services,” he added.
The case was adjourned to May 21 for Wontumi to mount the witness box if his lawyers do not file statements for other witnesses they indicate they will be calling.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak