The Office of the Attorney-General has lodged a six-count criminal charge at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra against Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, who serves as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He is being prosecuted for alleged violations of Ghana’s mining laws.
Wontumi faces the charges alongside Kwame Antwi and Akonta Mining Company Limited, a firm he owns. However, the second accused, Kwame Antwi, is reportedly on the run.
The case, which stems from alleged illegal mining operations in Samreboi in the Western Region, is grounded in the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and its amendment under Act 995 (2019).
1. Assignment of Mineral Rights Without Approval
In the first charge, Wontumi is accused of allowing two individuals, Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi, to carry out mining operations within Akonta Mining’s concession in 2024 without obtaining written permission from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
The prosecution contends that this action breaches Sections 14(1) and 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act.
2. Assignment of Mineral Rights Without Approval
The second charge mirrors the first but targets the second accused, Kwame Antwi. As a director of Akonta Mining Company Limited, he allegedly sanctioned similar unauthorised mining activities, violating the same legal provisions.
3. Corporate Liability for Unauthorised Assignment
The third charge is directed at Akonta Mining Company Limited. The company is accused of permitting unauthorised mining within its Samreboi concession in 2024 without ministerial consent, in violation of Sections 14(1) and 99(2)(b) of Act 703 as amended.
4. Purposely Facilitating Unlicensed Mining
This count alleges that Wontumi intentionally enabled mining operations by individuals—Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi—who did not hold a valid licence from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
According to the prosecution, he facilitated their work within Akonta Mining’s concession, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act.
5. Purposely Facilitating Unlicensed Mining
The fifth count similarly accuses Kwame Antwi of deliberately aiding unlicensed mining operations conducted by the same individuals on Akonta Mining’s concession, breaching the same statutory provision.
6. Corporate Facilitation of Unlicensed Mining
The sixth and final charge is against Akonta Mining Company Limited itself. The firm is alleged to have permitted unlicensed mining on its concession—constituting a corporate offence under Section 99(2)(b) of Act 703.
These charges underscore the government’s heightened enforcement of mining regulations to combat illegal mining, widely known as galamsey.
Section 14(1) of the Minerals and Mining Act prohibits the transfer of mineral rights without ministerial consent, while Section 99(2)(b) criminalises aiding or facilitating unlicensed mining.
The charges were officially filed on October 6, 2025, by the Attorney-General’s Office, led by Dr. Dominic Ayine.
This case is anticipated to be a major test of how far Ghana’s legal framework can hold both individuals and companies accountable for illegal mining activities