The Accra High Court has found Chairman Wontumi guilty in the high-profile illegal mining case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited's concession at Samreboi in the Western Region, bringing months of courtroom arguments to a dramatic close.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay of Criminal Court 4 delivered the judgment on Monday after dismissing a last-minute application by the defence seeking to postpone the ruling and refer constitutional questions arising from the case to the Supreme Court.
The verdict comes after a trial that has attracted national attention, with prosecutors accusing the New Patriotic Party's Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, of involvement in unlawful mining activities on the concession.
Court Rejects Defence Application
The proceedings opened with arguments over an application filed by the defence on July 16, requesting that judgment be deferred.
Holding brief for lead counsel Samuel Atta Akyea, lawyer Charles Boakye informed the court that Mr Atta Akyea was out of the country and expected back on July 22. He urged the court to postpone the ruling while the defence pursued a constitutional referral.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay, however, rejected the request, ruling that the application lacked merit. The court then proceeded to deliver its judgment.
The decision effectively ended the defence's attempt to delay the case at the final stage of the trial.
The prosecution alleged that Akonta Mining Company Limited and its officials facilitated illegal mining operations on the company's concession at Samreboi.
Throughout the trial, the state maintained that mining activities were undertaken without the required legal authorisation, contrary to Ghana's mining laws.
Chairman Wontumi consistently denied the allegations.
During his testimony on May 21, 2026, he insisted that he never authorised prosecution witness Henry Okum to mine on the concession.
According to him, Mr Okum had only been engaged to carry out land reclamation and establish a coconut plantation.
"The arrangement with Mr Okum was strictly for land reclamation and coconut plantation activities," he told the court, rejecting claims that it involved mining.
Case Began Last Year
The case traces its origins to October 6, 2025, when Chairman Wontumi reported to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service following a directive from Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dr Dominic Ayine.
The prosecution subsequently charged him alongside Akonta Mining Company Limited and another accused person, Kwame Antwi.
Monday's judgment marks a significant development in one of Ghana's most closely watched illegal mining prosecutions, a case that has remained in the public spotlight because of its political profile and broader implications for the enforcement of the country's mining laws.
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