Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has disclosed that he turned down a plea bargain request from Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in relation to his ongoing galamsey case.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Dr. Ayine said the overture was made before the commencement of legal proceedings at the High Court in Accra.
“Offers have been made, and I have turned all of them down. I have told everybody, please go to court. In the Wontumi case, offers were made to us for a plea deal. I said no, I’m filing charges. If you want, announce your intention for a plea deal to the judge, that is now my strategy,” he stated.
Dr. Ayine explained that while Ghana’s laws permit plea bargaining, such arrangements must occur transparently within the courtroom.
“No deal has been cut, and no deal will be cut except under the auspices of the Court of Competent Jurisdiction. That is what I have decided, and that is what we are going to do going forward,” Dr. Ayine added.
The Attorney General called for patience from the public, assuring that his office remains committed to ensuring justice without political bias or interference.
Chairman Wontumi, who also owns Akonta Mining Company Limited, is currently facing trial for allegedly allowing two individuals to mine on his company’s concession without ministerial approval.
Wontumi and his company are facing four charges; two counts of assigning mineral rights without authorization and two counts of facilitating an unlicensed mining operation at Samreboi in the Western Region.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
