Chairman Wontumi jailed for 20 years

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted on all six counts brought against him.

In a judgment delivered on Monday, July 20, 2026, the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, ruled against him on all charges.

The sentences are to run concurrently. In addition, the court fined Wontumi 10,000 penalty units for each count.

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Akonta Mining Limited, which was also convicted on two counts, was fined 15,000 penalty units for each count.

The convictions were secured under provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act 995), which increased penalties for illegal mining-related offences.

Chairman Wontumi, Akonta Mining Company Limited, and a third accused person, Kwame Antwi, stood trial over alleged illegal mining activities on the company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.

The prosecution accused the three of unlawfully assigning mineral rights on the concession without the approval of the sector minister and facilitating mining activities without the required authorisation, contrary to provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act.



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