Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine has announced that legal charges against Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, and his company, Akonta Mining, have been completed and officially signed.
Dr. Ayine revealed that Mr. Boasiako has been instructed to appear in Accra on Monday, October 6, 2025, for the charges to be formally presented. He warned that failure to comply would lead to his immediate arrest.
“The charges against Wontumi and Akonta Mining have been signed. He must appear on Monday. If he fails to do so, I will order his arrest, and the charges will be read in his absence,” the Attorney-General stated during President John Dramani Mahama’s meeting with civil society groups on illegal mining in Accra on Friday, October 3.
This announcement comes as investigations into Akonta Mining’s operations continue. The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, earlier confirmed that inquiries were progressing and disclosed that another individual linked to the company had already been detained.
She noted that while Chairman Wontumi had initially cooperated with investigators, he had recently delayed further appearances, citing health concerns—a claim his lawyer has supported. Nevertheless, DCOP Donkor assured the public that the probe is “actively ongoing” and that findings would be shared once completed.
As part of the case, the CID has also taken statements from one of Mr. Boasiako’s business associates, identified as Akuoko.
Chairman Wontumi was first invited by the CID on May 26, 2025, and attended with a legal team that included former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame and ex-Asante-Akim North MP Andy Appiah-Kubi.
He has consistently denied involvement in illegal mining. Speaking on his own television station, Wontumi TV, he maintained: “I am not into galamsey. I run a licensed large-scale mining company, which Akonta Mining operates under. I have all the necessary documents and will provide them.”
Mr. Boasiako further emphasized his readiness to cooperate fully with investigators, stating: “I appeal to authorities to allow the law to take its course. Let them investigate thoroughly, and let justice prevail.”