The High Court in Accra has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), for absenting himself from court without permission.
On Tuesday, October 28, when the case was called at 9:40 a.m., the team of state prosecutors, led by Stella Ohene Appiah, a Chief State Attorney, was present. However, the accused person and his lawyers were absent without any explanation.
Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay, the presiding judge, noted that the business for the day was for disclosure to be filed and subsequent case management.
She stated, “Notwithstanding the inability on the part of the republic to execute the exercise today, the accused person and his legal representative are absent in court with no excuse of any sort to the court.”
The court explained that on October 7, 2025, when bail was granted and the matter was adjourned to October 28, it did not fix a specific time for the accused person and his lawyers to be in court.
However, it was expected that they would be in court by 9 a.m. for the business of the day to start.
Justice Kocuvi-Tay added, “Having not given any notice to the court as to their absence, a bench warrant is issued for the arrest of the accused.”
Chairman Wontumi has been charged together with Kwame Antwi, a director of Akonta Mining, and Akonta Mining, the company itself, for allegedly assigning mineral rights without approval. They had pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
Per the Charge Sheet filed on Monday, October 6, 2025, Chairman Wontumi and the two others are facing a combined six charges, with each facing two counts.
READ: Chairman Wontumi, 2 others charged over Akonta Mining’s involvement in galamsey
The charges comprise three counts of assignment of mineral rights without approval, contrary to Section 14(1) and Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), and another three counts of purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
Chairman Wontumi is currently before the High Court in Accra to respond to the charges.
Brief facts
Per the brief facts of the case, as filed on October 6, signed by the Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, the 1st Accused Person (A1), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias WONTUMI, a 49-year-old entrepreneur, is a native of Kuntanase in the Ashanti Region.
On paper, he is one of the two shareholders and one of the two directors of Akonta Mining Company Limited – the 3rd Accused Person (A3).
According to the Charge Sheet, Akonta Mining Company was incorporated on November 5, 2010, with “mining and exploration” as its object and principal business activities.
While Tarkwa is listed as its principal place of business, it operates mainly in the Samreboi area.
The Charge Sheet stated that the 2nd Accused Person (A2), Kwame Antwi, is at large and is listed as the other shareholder and director of Akonta Mining (A3).
Chairman Wontumi stated in both his police charge statement and investigative caution statement that he never saw or heard of Kwame Antwi since 2010 after they completed the company registration and other registration formalities.
Investigations have established that Chairman Wontumi (A1) alone has since exercised absolute control over Akonta Mining Company’s (A3) activities.
Further investigation is ongoing to establish the existence and, if so, the identity of Kwame Antwi (A2).
Items retrieved
As part of the Republic’s fight against the galamsey (illegal mining) menace, the Ghana Police Service embarked on a special operation on April 16, 2025, in the Samreboi area.
At the end of the operation on April 17, 2025, the police arrested Michael Ayisi Gyedu, a 50-year-old native of Samreboi, and 28 others within Akonta Mining Company’s (A3) concession in Samreboi.
During the arrest, the police retrieved the following items: eight pump-action guns, one single-barreled gun, five pieces of metal suspected to be gold concealed in a sachet, four machetes, several water pumping machines, 310 AAA/BB cartridges, one grease gun, four motorcycles, two vehicles, cash amounting to One Hundred and Fifty-seven Thousand Ghana cedis only (GH₵157,000.00), 25 serviceable excavators, and four non-serviceable excavators.
The Charge Sheet added that at the end of the trial, the Republic will pray the Court for a forfeiture order in respect of all items of value retrieved from the concession.
Galamsey activities
Per the charge sheet, upon his arrest, Michael Ayisi Gyedu named another, Henry Okum (a 44-year-old native of Krobo Odumase), as his employer who assigned him to supervise the mining activities on the concession.
READ: If by Wednesday you don’t have a Lawyer, I will proceed with trial – Court warns Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi
Further, Michael Ayisi Gyedu stated that he and his fellow employees, as part of the mining activities on the concession, undertook land reclamation on parts of the concession that had been devastated while mining on the unmined portions of the land.
Henry Okum was subsequently arrested and cautioned. During interrogation, Henry Okum told police investigators under caution that sometime in September 2024, he approached and sought permission from Chairman Wontumi (A1) to undertake mining operations within the concession, which he believed belonged to Chairman Wontumi (A1) at Samreboi.
Investigations have established that Chairman Wontumi (A1) did agree to this proposal and gave Henry Okum permission to carry out mining operations within the concession.
Further investigations have, however, established that A1 allowed Henry Okum to carry out mining activities within A3’s concession without seeking or obtaining the legally mandated approval of the Minister.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
