The Accra High Court has sentenced Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison after convicting him in the illegal mining case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The ruling was delivered by the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court, which found Chairman Wontumi, Akonta Mining Limited and another accused person, Kwame Antwi, guilty over offences related to unlawful mining activities on the company’s concession.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court fined Chairman Wontumi 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000. He will serve an additional three-year jail term if the fine is not paid.
The 20-year prison sentence and the default sentence attached to the fine will run concurrently.
Before announcing the verdict, the court rejected a defence application seeking to suspend the judgment and refer certain issues in the case to the Supreme Court for constitutional interpretation.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay dismissed the application, ruling that it had no sufficient legal basis. The decision came despite arguments from lawyer Charles Boakye, who represented lead counsel Samuel Atta Akyea, that the judgment should be delayed because Mr Atta Akyea was outside the country and expected to return on July 22.
The defence had argued that some constitutional questions raised during the trial needed to be determined by the Supreme Court before the High Court could proceed with judgment. However, the court disagreed and continued with the determination of the case.
The prosecution accused Akonta Mining Company and its representatives of engaging in illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession and facilitating operations that contravened Ghana’s mining laws.
During the trial, Chairman Wontumi denied giving approval to prosecution witness Henry Okum, also known as PW2, to conduct mining activities on the company’s concession.
He told the court that his arrangement with Mr Okum was strictly for reclaiming degraded land and developing a coconut plantation, insisting that it did not involve any mining activity.
The case was initiated after Chairman Wontumi appeared before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service on October 6, 2025, following a directive from Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine.
