Chairman Wontumi was not caught doing galamsey – Kwadwo Poku clarifies

NPP Communications Team member Kwadwo Poku has rejected claims that Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, was convicted for personally engaging in illegal mining, arguing that the court’s decision was based on other issues.

Speaking about Wontumi’s 20-year prison sentence, Poku said the judgement did not establish that the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman was involved in mining activities at the site.

"If anybody on this panel claims they’ve read the judgement, they will know that the judgement yesterday was not an indictment that Chairman Wontumi or Akonta Mining was doing galamsey,” he said.

According to him, the issues the court considered were related to approval requirements and activities carried out by another person who operated on the concession.

"The judge cited Chairman Wontumi being a director not seeking the minister’s approval and, two, when the person who Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining gave the concession to do reclamation went and did something afterwards,” Poku explained.

He argued that describing Wontumi as someone caught engaging in illegal mining creates a different impression from what was contained in the judgement.

"The technical conviction of Chairman Wontumi is in no means to say that Chairman Wontumi was caught doing galamsey,” he said.

Poku added that Akonta Mining legally acquired its mining lease and maintained that the company itself was not found to have been conducting illegal mining.

"Akonta Mining acquired the lease legally. Akonta Mining lease is a legally acquired lease. It was not involved in galamsey,” he said.