Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and his company Akonta Mining Limited have been charged with six counts of violating Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act. The charges were filed by the Attorney General’s Office at the Accra High Court.
Wontumi, who serves as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is being tried alongside Kwame Antwi, a director of Akonta Mining. The charges stem from alleged unauthorised mining activities carried out in the Samreboi Forest Reserve in the Western North Region.
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons face the following counts:
1. Facilitating a mining operation without a licence – contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
2. Engaging in a mining operation without a licence – also under Section 99(2)(b).
3. Providing support services to illegal miners without a permit – contrary to Section 59(1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
4. Assigning a mineral right without ministerial consent – in breach of Section 14(1) of Act 703.
5. Using equipment to aid unlicensed mining operations – under Section 99(3) of the Act.
6. Operating in a restricted forest reserve without lawful authority – contrary to Regulation 83 of the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176).
During Tuesday’s court session, Wontumi and his co-accused pleaded not guilty to all six charges. The presiding judge granted him bail set at GH₵1 million, with two sureties. He has also been ordered to surrender his passport and report periodically to investigators until the case concludes.
The prosecution maintains that Akonta Mining was operating without valid mineral rights and in an area designated as a protected forest reserve, an action they say contravenes Ghana’s mining laws.
The case has been adjourned to October 30, 2025, for case management and disclosure of evidence.
Author: Jasmine Adjei
Development journalist
