The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Bosiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been arraigned before the High Court in Accra alongside two others in connection with alleged illicit mining activities purportedly carried out by Akonta Mining Limited.
The accused are facing a total of six counts, including assigning mineral rights without approval and facilitating unlicensed mining operations, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act.
According to the charge sheet filed by the Attorney General’s Office, state security operations led to the arrest of Michael Ayisi Gyedu and 28 others engaged in mining on the Akonta Mining concession. During interrogation, Mr. Gyedu professed that he was authorized by Henry Okum to supervise mining activities on the land.
Investigations revealed that Henry Okum had sought and received permission from Chairman Wontumi to conduct mining operations within the Samreboi concession, under the assumption that it belonged to the Chairman.
Notably, Chairman Wontumi purportedly granted this permission without obtaining the requisite approval from the Minister responsible for mining, as mandated by law. The seized items retrieved from the concession include eight pump-action guns, one single-barreled gun, five pieces of metal suspected to be gold, concealed in a sachet, water pumping machines, four motorcycles, two vehicles, and a substantial amount of cash totaling GHS 157,000.
Furthermore, 25 serviceable excavators and four non-serviceable excavators were also recovered.
The prosecution has intimated that it will petition the court to issue a forfeiture order for all valuable items recovered from the site upon conclusion of the trial.
Chairman Wontumi, Kwame Antwi – currently at large and described as a co-owner and director of Akonta Mining – and Akonta Mining Limited itself are set to face trial. The case underscores the government’s resolute efforts to combat illegal mining activities in Ghana, and the trial is expected to provide insight into the extent of the alleged malfeasance.
