Chairman Wontumi Appears in Court for the First Time Over Galamsey Allegations
- Chairman Wontumi has been charged with illegal mining offences and appeared in court as his trial began
- The Attorney General accused the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman and his company of violating mining laws
- He was granted bail of GH₵1 million after reporting to the CID and maintained his innocence through his lawyer
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has appeared in court in relation to illegal mining allegations.
The commencement of the trial follows the official charges filed against him by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine.
Source: Instagram
A video shared on Facebook by @Sammykaymediadotcom captured Chairman Wontumi and his lawyers at the premises of the Accra High Court.
The controversial NPP politician is under investigation over his alleged involvement in illegal mining, known in Ghanaian parlance as galamsey.
He has been charged with mining-related offences and engaging in mining without a licence.
Earlier, the Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, stated that the charges against Chairman Wontumi, his company, Akonta Mining Limited, and five others have been finalised and signed.
Chairman Wontumi's lawyer says client is innocent
Chairman Wontumi was ordered to appear before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra on October 6, 2025.
After reporting to the CID with his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, the NPP's Ashanti Regional Chairman was granted GH₵1 million bail with two sureties.
Addressing the media after securing the bail, the politician's legal counsel stated that his client was innocent of the charge levelled against him.
He also confirmed the charges filed by the Attorney General against his client.
"The charges are related to mining. Wontumi has been charged with mining without a licence and other related offences," he explained.
Watch the video below:
Chairman Wontumi's legal battle with the state
Chairman Wontumi has been in a serious legal battle with the state since the beginning of this year.
He was first arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office on May 27 and released on June 3 after spending over a week in EOCO custody.
The controversial politician is also being investigated over a larger international organised crime scheme.
National security operatives even previously stormed his residence in Kumasi to execute a search warrant.
Before all this, the government revoked the licence of Akonta Mining Limited, accusing the company of engaging in illegal mining.
Illegal mining claims against Wontumi
Akonta Mining has long been linked to illegal mining activities, especially in forest reserves.
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey in 2022 called for the arrest and prosecution of Boasiako.
According to the coalition, there was evidence that Akonta Mining violated the Minerals and Mining Act by mining closely along the banks of the Tano River.
They also accused the previous government led by former President Nana Akufo-Addo of not showing a commitment to truly fight illegal mining.
However, Chairman Wontumi denied the allegations levelled against him and his company by the Media Coalition Against Galamsey.
President Akufo-Addo also defended the NPP politician and Akonta Mining at the time.
Source: Facebook
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu speaks on arrest of NPP members
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that a former Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, accused the President Mahama-led administration of using state agencies to target Chairman Wontumi and other NPP members.
He criticised the EOCO, the NIB, and the Special Prosecutor's office for allegedly making politically motivated arrests. The former Member of Parliament urged President Mahama to speak on the 'culture of impunity and abuse' in his next national address.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
