Wontumi pleads not guilty to charges of illegal mining

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, and Akonta Mining Company Limited have entered a not guilty plea to charges related to illegal mining operations in the Western Region.

On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, Chairman Wontumi, the first accused and owner of Akonta Mining, was arraigned before a High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay, and entered pleas for himself and the company, which is listed as the third accused on the charge sheet.

According to the charge sheet, Chairman Wontumi faces two counts:

Count 1: 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).

Count 4: 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).

Akonta Mining Company Limited, represented in court by Wontumi, also pleaded not guilty to:

Count 3: 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).

Count 6: Purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the same Act.

The charges arise from alleged illegal mining activities in Samreboi in 2024, where Wontumi and the company are accused of unlawfully permitting two individuals, Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi, to conduct mining operations within Akonta’s concession without the prior written consent of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.