Ghana Court Sentences 'Chairman Wontumi' to 20 Years for Illegal Mining Activities
A Ghana High Court has sentenced Bernard Antwi Boasiako, known as 'Chairman Wontumi', to 20 years in prison with hard labor for illegal mining activities. Chairman Wontumi, an executive of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), and his company, Akonta Mining, were found guilty of unauthorized mining in a forest area in the Western Region of Ghana. The court determined that Wontumi unlawfully assigned mineral rights without the necessary approval and facilitated mining operations without authorization, violating the country's Minerals and Mining Act. Despite pleas for leniency from his lawyers, citing his status as a first-time offender and the potential job losses for employees of his companies, the court imposed a 20-year sentence, just shy of the maximum 25 years for such offenses. 
