Josiah
The Accra High Court 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 for his involvement in illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
The sentence was delivered by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay of the Criminal Division of the High Court shortly after 11:40 a.m. on Monday, July 20, 2026, bringing to a close one of Ghana’s most high-profile illegal mining cases.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000. Failure to pay the fine will attract a default sentence of three years’ imprisonment, with both the custodial sentence and the default term to run concurrently.
Earlier, the court found Mr Antwi-Boasiako guilty on all six charges, including unlawfully assigning mineral rights without approval and facilitating unlicensed mining operations in contravention of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended. The 20-year sentence falls within the law’s prescribed range of 15 to 25 years for the offences.
The court also ruled against Akonta Mining Company Limited, a company linked to Mr Antwi-Boasiako, but imposed only a financial penalty after taking mitigating factors into account. As a result, the company avoided the custodial punishment handed to its controlling director.
Before sentencing, counsel for Mr Antwi-Boasiako, led by Samuel Atta Akyea, appealed to the court to impose the minimum sentence of 15 years. The defence argued that their client had shown remorse, cooperated with investigators, attended all court proceedings, had no previous criminal record, and had made significant contributions to his community and the country. However, after considering submissions from both the prosecution and the defence, the court imposed a 20-year custodial sentence.
The case stemmed from a police anti-illegal mining operation conducted on the Samreboi concession on April 16 and 17, 2025. The operation led to the arrest of Michael Ayisi Gyedu and 28 others, while authorities seized 25 excavators, firearms, vehicles and GH¢157,000 in cash.
According to the prosecution, Mr Antwi-Boasiako, as owner and controlling director of Akonta Mining Company Limited, permitted mining activities on the concession without the approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, as required by law. The defence maintained that he never authorised illegal mining, insisting that those found on the site were engaged solely in land reclamation and coconut plantation activities.
Meanwhile, the Republic is seeking a forfeiture order for the excavators, firearms, vehicles and cash seized during the operation. The High Court is expected to rule on that application at a later date.
Source:Omanghana.com
