Fresh details have emerged regarding the legal case involving Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, with his defence insisting that he has not been accused of engaging in illegal mining.
According to the clarification, the Attorney-General’s Department Ghana has not charged Chairman Wontumi with undertaking illegal mining activities. Instead, the case centers on allegations linked to the operations of Akonta Mining Company Limited.
The Attorney General is said to be arguing that Akonta Mining, which was granted a concession by the government, subsequently transferred or assigned its mineral rights to a third party—identified as Henry Okum—to undertake mining activities within the concession. This, the prosecution claims, was done without obtaining prior written approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, as required by law.
As a result, Wontumi is being accused of leading the company to hand over its concession rights without following due process. Additionally, prosecutors allege that he supported individuals engaged in illegal mining by supplying them with equipment, an action they argue also required ministerial authorization.
However, the defence strongly maintains that these allegations do not amount to illegal mining on the part of Chairman Wontumi.
“They have not accused him of illegal mining. Let that be put on record,” the defence emphasized, drawing a distinction between regulatory breaches and direct involvement in unlawful mining activities.
The prosecution has also reportedly alleged that Akonta Mining was involved in felling trees within a forest reserve. In response, the defence says it will present findings from the Forestry Commission Ghana to demonstrate that the destruction in the area was caused by other individuals engaged in illegal mining, not Wontumi or his company.