Chairman Wontumi Returns to Court Under Prison Guard Over Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve Mining Case

• Chairman Wontumi arrived at the Accra High Court escorted by prison officers as proceedings in his illegal mining case continued
• The NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, July 20, 2026, over illegal mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve
• Wontumi's legal team has indicated plans to appeal the court's decision following the guilty verdict

Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, appeared before the Accra High Court on Wednesday under the watch of prison officers, just days after receiving a 20-year custodial sentence in a related illegal mining matter.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party arrived in court alongside co-accused Akonta Mining Limited, Kwame Antwi and Owusu Bempah.

The group faces charges of illegal mining allegedly carried out within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region.

Wontumi's second court Appearance

The Deputy Attorney General, Justice Srem-Sai, and the wider prosecution team were present ahead of proceedings.

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Chairman Wontumi's legal team to file appeal after 20-year prison sentence

This court appearance follows a significant development earlier in the week, when the same court found Wontumi guilty on charges connected to separate illegal mining activities at a concession in Samreboi, also in the Western Region.

On Monday, 20 July 2026, the court handed him a 20-year prison sentence. Akonta Mining Limited, implicated in the same matter, received a fine in connection with the offences.

Throughout the duration of his trial, Wontumi consistently rejected the allegations against him, insisting he had no involvement in illegal mining and that the charges were without merit.

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Wontumi's lawyers to appeal 20-year sentence

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that the lead counsel for Chairman Wontumi, Samuel Atta Akyea, announced the defence team will file a notice of appeal next week following the court's ruling.

The High Court found NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako guilty of illegal mining offences connected to a concession in Samreboi.

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List of all Chairman Wontumi's ongoing court cases despite his prison sentence

Wontumi has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, and the appeal marks the next stage of his legal battle.

Source: YEN.com.gh