Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Wontumi
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will open his defence on May 14, 2026, in a trial in which he has been accused of facilitating others to mine on his Akonta Mining Company Limited concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
His lawyers have already filed witness statements for three witnesses, all of whom would be testifying for the businessman and his company, who have both denied all the charges levelled against them by the Attorney General.
Among the witnesses is George Mireku Duker, a former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources under the Nana Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration, from 2021 to 2025.
There are other witnesses scheduled to testify for him, although his lawyers are yet to file witness statements for them.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for the accused, told the court yesterday that he has filed witness statements for three witnesses so far, including a supplementary witness statement for Wontumi himself.
Wisdom Edem Gomashie, an expert in mining, is set to be Wontumi’s first witness and has been scheduled to testify on May 14. Wontumi is expected to be the last witness.
Trial
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. They have both denied the charges.
The prosecution called four witnesses to make its case against the accused persons and the company.
According to a submission of no case to answer filed by his lawyers, the prosecution’s case suffers from fundamental and fatal deficiencies, both in terms of the absence of evidence on essential elements and in terms of the quality and reliability of the evidence adduced.
It argues that the prosecution failed to adduce sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against them on all six (6) counts charged under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
BY Gibril Abdul Razak