ACCRA / KUMASI — In a landmark judgment that has sent shockwaves through the political and mining landscapes, the Accra High Court (Criminal Division 4) has sentenced the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison with hard labour.
The court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, found Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, guilty on charges stemming from illegal mining activities at the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
Fines and Verdict
Beyond the 20-year custodial sentence, which will run concurrently across the counts, the court imposed a fine of GH¢120,000 on Chairman Wontumi (with a default sentence of an additional three years in prison) and fined Akonta Mining Limited GH¢180,000.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Kocuvie-Tay held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Wontumi and his firm permitted individuals to undertake mining activities without obtaining prior approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, breaching the Minerals and Mining Act.
The judge also lifted Akonta Mining’s corporate veil, ruling that Wontumi was the de facto holder of the mineral rights and the sole controlling mind behind the company’s operations.
Courtroom Drama & Leniency Pleas
The 49-year-old politician, dressed in a yellow traditional outfit, drove himself to the court premises in a grey Toyota Land Cruiser (V8) earlier in the morning. Though he arrived saluting supporters, his demeanor shifted dramatically as the judge began reading the final verdict.
Before the sentence was handed down, lawyers present in court pleaded passionately for mercy, pointing out that Wontumi is a first-time offender who showed remorse.
A friend of the court, Bernard Owiredu Donkor, argued that Wontumi is a major employer whose business collapse would throw thousands of young people into unemployment. However, the court ruled that the gravity of the illegal mining offence and the urgent need to deter environmental destruction outweighed the plea for leniency.
NPP Reacts, Legal Team Heads to Appeal
The outcome was delivered in the absence of Wontumi’s lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea.
Reacting to the judgment, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) strongly rejected the sentence, describing Wontumi as a “political prisoner” and accusing the state of selective prosecution. Wontumi’s legal team has since confirmed that they are filing an immediate notice of appeal to challenge both the conviction and the 20-year sentence at the Court of Appeal.
