Lead

A Ghanaian High Court has sentenced Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison with hard labour for illegal mining offences. Wontumi, a prominent businessman and chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, was found guilty of assigning mineral rights without approval and facilitating an unlicensed mining operation through his company, Akonta Mining.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Africa News, AllAfrica, and BBC — World detail the court's judgment, which was delivered by Judge Audrey Kocuvie-Tay in Accra. The judge ruled that Wontumi had unlawfully transferred mineral rights without approval from Ghana's sector minister and had facilitated unlicensed mining operations, breaching the country's Minerals and Mining Act. The maximum sentence for these offences is 25 years; the judge handed down 20 years.

According to AllAfrica, the prosecution called four witnesses during the trial, including Henry Okum, a small-scale miner, who testified that he had a verbal agreement with Wontumi to mine on the concession. Wontumi pleaded not guilty to the charges. His counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, had filed a motion seeking to refer provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act to the Supreme Court for interpretation, arguing that Section 14(1) of the Act is vague and inconsistent with fair trial guarantees under Article 19(11) of the 1992 Constitution. The judge rejected the request, ruling it lacked merit, and delivered the verdict as scheduled.

Wontumi is also reported to have been ordered to pay more than $10,000 in fines, as reported by BBC — World. He is the first senior Ghanaian politician to be convicted since the government's crackdown on illegal mining began in 2017, according to AllAfrica and BBC — World.

Key Claims

  • Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, was sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour for illegal mining.
  • Wontumi is a prominent businessman and chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region.
  • The court found Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining, guilty of illegally mining inside a forest reserve near Samreboi in Ghana's Western Region.
  • Judge Audrey Kocuvie-Tay ruled that Wontumi had unlawfully transferred mineral rights without approval from Ghana's sector minister.
  • Wontumi was also found guilty of facilitating unlicensed mining operations, breaching the country's Minerals and Mining Act.
  • The NPP alleged that the landmark judgement was politically motivated.
  • Environmental campaigners welcomed the conviction as a major step in holding powerful people accountable for illegal mining.
  • Ghana is Africa's leading gold producer, but a large portion of the country's waters and environment have been polluted by illegal mining.

Perspectives

The NPP has condemned the conviction, with general secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong telling reporters: "The fight against illegal mining cannot become credible only when it targets political opponents in respect of whom evidence of wrongdoing does not exist." He alleged that the judge had ignored "clear evidence" that would have exonerated Boasiako. The party has said it will appeal.

Environmental campaigners, by contrast, have hailed the conviction as a major step in holding powerful people accountable for illegal mining. They say it sends a strong signal that accountability is possible, and they hope it will deter other politicians and businessmen financing illegal mining activities.