Akonta Mining GM Speaks on Decision to Testify for the State in Case Against Chairman Wontumi
- The General Manager of Akonta Mining, Edward Akuoko, is unrepentant about deciding to testify against his former boss
- Akuoko offered to testify as a prosecution witness in the case involving Benard Antwi-Boasiko, also known as Chairman Wontumi
- The Attorney General subsequently applied to the High Court to withdraw charges against Akuoko
Edward Akuoko, the General Manager of Akonta Mining, has justified turning state witness in the case prosecuting Benard Antwi-Boasiko, also known as Chairman Wontumi.
Akuoko said he had to look out for his own interests, given the threat of jail time.
Source: Facebook
He told Okay FM there was more benefit to turning state witness.
On November 3, the Attorney General applied to the High Court to withdraw charges against Akuokoon Monday, November 3, 2025.
"The offer they gave me, I willingly took it. applied to to accept it. I weighed the pros and cons. Let no one say the attorney general put a knife to my head.”
Akuoko also said he sought the advice of some senior people in the New Patriotic Party on the matter.
According to him, they all advised him that the advice at the time was to be a prosecution witness.
He also reminded that he has largely been a footnote as Boasiako garnered partisan support amid their legal troubles.
"The day we went to court, people saw that I was handcuffed to Chairman Wontumi. The senior people in the party didn’t even come looking for me... have you heard of free Akuoko before?”
"People don’t know me, so I have to look out for myself. As for Chairman Wontumi, he could get a presidential pardon when NPP comes to power, but I could be forgotten."
Akuoko is the fourth accused person in the case, and before declaring his intention to testify against Boasiako, he had pleaded not guilty to three counts of corruption-related charges.
The charges filed against him were undertaking a mining operation without a licence and two counts of abetting the unauthorised felling of trees in a forest reserve.
How did Wontumi's lawyers react?
Boasiako's Lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, conceded that the Attorney General was clothed with the legal authority to secure witnesses for the state's prosecution.
"So if, in his good conscience, he feels it's proper and just to use one of the accused persons against another accused person, he is the Minister for Justice, and it lies within his bosom to decide who to use in this prosecution," he said.
Appiah-Kubi said he was confident Akuoko's decision to testify against his former boss would not have any impact on the case.
After his arrest on October 7, Boasiako was granted bail of GH¢15 million with three sureties in the first case against him and GH¢10 million with two sureties in the second case against him.
He and his company, Akonta Mining Company, are accused of engaging in mining operations on their mining concession without obtaining due approval.
In the second case, Boasiako has been accused of mining in the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve without a licence and purposely facilitating the unauthorised felling of trees.
Source: Getty Images
The High Court in Accra barred Boasiako from leaving the country as part of his bail conditions.
He has been placed on the immigration stop list at all entry and exit points of Ghana, effectively restricting his travel abroad until the case is concluded. However, he can apply to the court for permission to travel if necessary.
He must also report to the CID investigator twice a month, specifically on the first and third Monday of every month.
About the illegal mining claims against Wontumi
YEN.com.gh reported that Akonta Mining Company has long been linked to illegal mining activities, especially in forest reserves, but the under-fire NPP politician has denied the illegal mining claims.
In 2022, the Media Coalition Against Galamsey called for the arrest and prosecution of Boasiako, saying there was evidence that Akonta Mining Company violated the Minerals and Mining Act by mining closely along the banks of the Tano River.
The coalition also accused the Akufo-Addo government of not showing a commitment to truly fight illegal mining.
Source: YEN.com.gh
