Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has responded to allegations of illegal mining leveled against his company, Akonta Mining Ltd.
Lawyer Martin Kpebu had petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, accusing Akonta Mining of operating in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
However, Chairman Wontumi has vehemently denied the allegations, attributing Kpebu’s actions to personal vendetta. “We are a legitimate entity. Get your facts right. If you continue to tarnish my image, I will sue you,” Chairman Wontumi warned Kpebu.
Chairman Wontumi emphasized that Akonta Mining does not operate in any forest reserve, and has never done so. “When the allegation was leveled against us, we presented ourselves and our documentations to the Special Prosecutor and the CID… If we were guilty of the allegations, we would have been prosecuted.”
Kpebu’s petition, dated February 24, 2025, expressed frustration over the delayed investigation into Akonta Mining’s activities. The CID had received the initial petition on October 13, 2022, but Kpebu claimed that there had been little progress in the investigation.
