Chairman Wontumi (Bernard Antwi Boasiako) is the Ashanti Regional Chairman of Ghana’s New Patriotic Party (NPP). He is a prominent businessman with significant interests in mining. His company, Akonta Mining Company Limited (registered around 2010), holds or held mining-related leases and concessions.
The Company has faced long-standing accussations of illegal mining(galamsey) particularly im the Samreboi area of Ghana’s western region, including operations in or near protected forest reserves like the Tano Nimiri forest Reserve.
Background on Wontumi and Akonta Mining
Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) Born May 1, 1976, he is a prominent Ghanaian politician, entrepreneur, and media owner. He has served as NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman since around 2014 and is known for a flashy lifestyle and public boasts about wealth from mining and other businesses.
Akonta Mining was Registered around 2010 for mining and exploration activities. It held or applied for concessions in the Western Region (Samreboi/Sambreboi area). The company had reconnaissance and prospecting licenses earlier, and later mining leases granted in 2021 (one for 10 years, one for 30 years), reportedly outside forest reserves. However, it faced repeated regulatory scrutiny for lacking full approvals, environmental permits, forest entry permits, or ratified leases where operations allegedly occurred.
The Samreboi Galamsey Issue
Samreboi (also spelled Sambreboi) in the Western Region became a focal point for allegations of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) within or adjacent to Akonta Mining’s concession.
Key elements
Unauthorized Sub-Assignment of Rights: Prosecutors alleged that Wontumi, as owner/controlling director of Akonta Mining, permitted individuals like Henry Okum (a key prosecution witness) and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to conduct mining operations on the company’s concession in 2024 without the mandatory prior written approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. This violates Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703, as amended by Act 995).
Facilitating Unlicensed Operations: The company and Wontumi were accused of enabling unlicensed galamsey activities, including sub-leasing parts of the concession, collecting royalties (e.g., weekly gold payments or fees like GHC 300,000 per concession in some reports), and allowing excavators and equipment on site.
Forest Reserve and Environmental Concerns: Earlier incidents involved alleged operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve (and Aboi Forest), which prompted statements from the Minerals Commission and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources declaring activities illegal as early as 2022. Issues included lack of environmental permits from the EPA, forest entry permits, and ratified leases under the Constitution. Operations were linked to deforestation, river pollution (e.g., Tano River), and broader galamsey impacts like flooding in the Samreboi enclave.
2025 Police Operations
Investigations intensified after a special anti-galamsey raid in April 2025 at Samreboi. Police arrested 29 suspects, seized firearms, ammunition, suspected gold, excavators, vehicles, motorcycles, and cash (around GH¢157,000). Witnesses reportedly linked the activities back to permissions from Wontumi/Akonta.
Wontumi denied authorizing mining, claiming any arrangements with Okum and he was there were for land reclamation and coconut planting, not mineral extraction. He maintained the company held legal leases and was not involved in illegal activities.
Legal Proceedings and Outcome (as of July 20, 2026)
Wontumi, Akonta Mining Limited, and a second accused (Kwame Antwi, at large) faced multiple charges related to unlawful assignment of mineral rights and facilitating unlicensed mining.
The trial was heard at the Accra High Court before Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay.
Prosecution presented witnesses; defense challenged evidence like company insignia on equipment.
The prosecution called four witnesses (PW1 to PW4) in the Republic v. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Akonta Mining Company Limited, and Kwame Antwi case. The trial concerned unauthorized assignment of mineral rights and facilitating unlicensed mining on Akonta Mining’s Samreboi concession in Ghana’s Western Region.
Summary of each witness’s key evidence-in-chief (written or adopted statements/testimony) and notable points from cross-examination, drawn from court reports.
PW1: Michael Gyedu Ayisi (Artisanal Miner, Site Supervisor/Administrator)Evidence-in-Chief: He worked under Henry Okum (PW2) at the Samreboi site as an administrator and supervisor. His duties included overseeing mining in unmined areas and reclamation/coconut planting in previously mined zones. He adopted a witness statement dated around October 2025 describing these activities.
He understood the concession belonged to Chairman Wontumi (based on information from Okum) and personally extracted gold handed over to Okum.
During Cross-Examination, he admitted having no documentary evidence (e.g., no deed of assignment) linking Wontumi to any transfer. His belief in Wontumi’s ownership came solely from verbal info provided by Okum. He had never met Wontumi, never seen him at the site, and only knew him from TV.
He did not know the concession boundaries, had no formal mining training, and never saw official concession documents. He confirmed extracting and handing over gold to Okum but could not specify values or frequency.
PW2: Henry Okum (Licensed Small-Scale Miner, Key Witness)Evidence-in-Chief: A licensed small-scale miner from Kumasi, he knew Wontumi (A1), Kwame Antwi, and Akonta Mining. In September 2024, he inquired at the Minerals Commission and learned the Samreboi concession belonged to Akonta Mining.
He contacted Wontumi and entered a verbal agreement allowing him to mine unmined portions while reclaiming mined areas with coconut seedlings. No money was provided by Wontumi for reclamation; Okum was to fund it from mining proceeds. Profits/losses were his responsibility (no accountability to Wontumi).
Instead of typical “goodwill” payments, proceeds from gold would fund reclamation, with future coconut harvest profits shared equally. Wontumi directed him to a dealer for equipment (bulldozers/excavator), which he arranged to pay for from mining proceeds. He was aware of staff arrests linked to the site.
During Cross-Examination, he confirmed PW1 (Ayisi) was his site manager. He clarified he was not a staff member or shareholder of Akonta Mining and operated via his own company (Hencom Ventures, not a mining firm). There was no written agreement or ministerial approval. Defense challenged aspects of the arrangement (e.g., relevance under the Evidence Act), with some objections sustained.
The court later found PW2’s testimony credible, noting the lack of direct funding from Wontumi for reclamation aligned with a mining-for-reclamation deal rather than a pure reclamation contract.
PW3: Detective Chief Inspector Sarfo Asiedu Kwasi (Police Investigator)Evidence-in-Chief: He detailed the police anti-galamsey operation at Samreboi (and parts of Tano Nimiri Forest) in April 2025. They arrested 29 suspects and seized excavators, suspected gold, firearms, ammunition, vehicles, motorcycles, and cash (around GH¢157,000). Exhibits included caution/charge statements, photographs, mining leases, and reports.
During Cross-Examination, he said Wontumi was not present at the site during the operation. None of the arrested persons were identified as Akonta Mining employees. This highlighted the lack of direct operational link in the raid.
PW4: Joseph Iroko (Senior Manager, Legal, Minerals Commission)Evidence-in-Chief: He explained the regulatory framework under the Minerals and Mining Act. Any assignment, transfer, or sublease of mineral rights requires a formal application to the Minerals Commission followed by prior written approval from the Minister. A search of records showed no application, approval, or documentation for Akonta Mining assigning or transferring the Samreboi concession to Henry Okum (or others). Without ministerial approval, no such assignment is legally recognized.
During Cross-Examination he indicated that defense emphasized the absence of documentary proof of any formal assignment, aligning with the regulatory testimony.
The court ultimately found the prosecution’s evidence sufficient to convict on all counts (July 20, 2026), crediting key aspects of PW2’s account.The judge reportedly pierced the corporate veil, holding Wontumi personally responsible as the controlling mind.
Sentence: 20 years imprisonment in hard labour (with an option of a fine, e.g., GH¢120,000 or additional time.