Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, has pleaded not guilty to seven fresh charges linked to alleged illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The plea was entered when he appeared before the Accra High Court (Criminal Division) on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, alongside officials of Akonta Mining Company Limited and other associates accused of carrying out mining operations in a protected forest zone.
This latest court appearance came barely hours after another case earlier in the day, in which Wontumi was granted GH₵15 million bail and placed on a stop list over a separate set of six mining-related offences.
According to the prosecution, Wontumi and his company “illegally destroyed portions of the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve, felling hundreds of trees and degrading over 13 hectares of land without authorization.”
Lead prosecutor Dr. Dominic Ayine told the court that investigations revealed that the accused persons, acting as owners and directors of Akonta Mining, “knowingly allowed unauthorized operations and failed to obtain the necessary licences from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.”
The court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, granted Wontumi GH₵10 million bail with two sureties, one of whom must justify with landed property. The accused was also ordered to deposit his passport with the Registrar pending trial.
The seven counts, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General, span offences under the Minerals and Mining Act, Forest Protection Act, and Criminal Offences Act. They include undertaking mining without a licence, felling trees in a forest reserve without authorization, and erecting structures in a protected area.
Under Count One, Akonta Mining Company Limited is accused of operating within Samreboi in 2022 without a valid licence, in violation of Section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended.
Count Two charges Wontumi and Kwame Antwi who is currently on the run with conducting illegal mining operations within the forest reserve.
In Count Four, prosecutors allege that “more than 300 merchantable trees and several saplings were felled” by Akonta Mining without written authority, contrary to the Forest Protection Act, 1974 (NRCD 243).
Responding to the charges, lawyers for Wontumi argued that their client “has always complied with Ghana’s mining laws and has never authorised any illegal operations.” They described the case as “a political witch-hunt aimed at tarnishing his reputation.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General’s Department insists that the charges are based on clear evidence gathered from field investigations by the Forestry Commission and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Wontumi, who has since met his bail conditions, is expected to reappear before the court in the coming weeks as the case proceeds to case management and trial.
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