Chairman Wontumi Sentenced to 20 Years for Illegal Mining Activities
The Accra High Court has sentenced Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison for illegal mining activities. Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was found guilty of six charges related to illegal mining on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region. The charges included assigning mineral rights without approval and facilitating mining operations without a license, violating the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006. The court also imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, with a default sentence of three years if unpaid. Akonta Mining Company Limited, linked to Wontumi, was fined instead of receiving a custodial sentence. The case followed a police operation in April 2025, which led to multiple arrests and the seizure of equipment and cash. 
