Ghana Court jail opposition NPP executive 'Chairman Wontumi' 20 years for illegal mining

Ghana High Court don jail one opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) executive Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, 20 years wit hard labour for illegal mining.

Di court find Chairman Wontumi and im mining company – Akonta Mining, guilty say dem mine illegally inside forest for Samreboi for di Western Region.

Akonta Mining Limited face charges over alleged unauthorised mining activities on top dia Samreboi concession.

Di High Court bin find Chairman Wontumi guilty on top all di counts.

Afta di trial, di High Court say Wontumi bin unlawfully assign mineral rights without di approval of di sector minister.

Dem also find am guilty say im facilitate mining activities without authorisation, contrary to di kontris Minerals and Mining Act.

Im also dey guilty say im and im mining company facilitate unlicenced mining operation inside one forest for Samreboi.

Lawyers for di NPP Ashanti Regional chairman bin beg for mitigation of di sentence, bifor di judge go give her final decision.

Im lawyers say im be law-abiding citizen, wey im be first-time offender so make di court dey lenient wit di sentence.

Dem also argue say Chairman Wontumi get companies wey dey employ hundreds of pipo, if im go jail, all those pipo no go get job anymore.

Di maximum jailterm for di offenses be 25 years but afta everitin, di judge sentence di 50-year-old to 20 years.

Illegal mining be one serious tin wey dey happun for di kontri wey illegal miners dey mine on top waterbodies and forest reserves.

Dis activities don destroy many waterbodies wey cause wahala for di forest reserves.

Di illegal miners bin dey use mercury and oda chemicals on top di waterbodies wey dey poison di water wey pipo dey drink and dey use for dia household chores.

Charges against Chairman Wontumi and di trial

Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi togeda wit im mining company Akonta Mining stand trial ova alleged illegal mining activities on top di company concession for Samreboi for di Western Region.

Anoda pesin wey be di third accused pesin, Kwame Antwi (wey dey at large) also dey face allegation of illegal mining.

Di prosecution allege say di accused pipo bin unlawfully assign mineral rights on dia concession without di approval of di sector minister.

Dem also allegedly facilitate mining activities without di required authorisation, contrary to di kontris Minerals and Mining Act.

Di accused pipo dey charged wit two counts of facilitating unlicenced mining operation inside one forest for Samreboi.

Chairman Wontumi bin deny di charges, wey im accomplice Kwame Antwi bin dey at large.

Chairman Wontumi bin call five witnesses to defend im case for court, wey di court give time for prosecution and defense to file dia written submissions.

Afta di trial wey di court set date for di judgment but lawyer for di businessman and Ashanti regional chairman, Andy Appiah Kubi bin withdraw as lawyer for Chairman Wontumi.

Anoda lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea bin take ova di case wey im ask di court to give am time to study di case from wia dem start to di end, bifor di court go deliver judgement.

Di court now delay di judgment wey di new counsel for di accused Atta Akye file anoda process for di Supreme Court to stop high Court judgment on di case.

According to di lawyer, im want di Supreme Court to interpret some of di provisions of di Minerals and mining act wey di prosecution bin use to prosecute im client.

Again, lawyer for di accused pesin Atta Akyea bin write to di High Court to postpone di judgment from Monday 20 July to anoda time to allow di Supreme Court to determine dia case and sake of im dey outside di kontri.

But di trial judge Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay dismiss di application wey she proceed to deliver her judgement.

Di judge bin rule say di application by defence lawyers dey lack merit.

Profile of Chairman Wontumi

Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi na politician and businessman.

Im be di chairman of di opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for di Ashanti Region wey be di stronghold of di party.

Im hold dat position since 2014.

For di last four years under di ex-president Nana Akufo-Addo, Chairman Wontumi be di chairman of di party wey im contribute financially to di party.

Di 50-year-old get mining company, radio and TV station and oda businesses for Accra and Kumasi.

Di controversial politician bin tok for 2022 say im wan bid to buy Chelsea football club for England.

Di Economic and organised Crime office (Eoco) for 2025 bin arrest Chairman Wontumi ova illegal mining offences and oda offences wey relate to some Exim bank loan.

Chairman Wontumi and odas dey face alleged Ghc14m loan wey im collect from di EXIM bank for farming project.

Im dey contest for di national chairman position of im party di NPP bifor dis sentencing.