Wontumi Conviction: Srem-Sai explains evidence behind guilty verdict

The Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has revealed that evidence from statements of Benard Antwi Bosiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the police, witness accounts and testimonies from the defence witnesses formed the basis of the court's decision to convict him in the illegal mining case.

Dr Srem-Sai, while explaining the basis for the verdict in an interview on TV3 monitored by GhanaWeb on July 22, 2026, also expressed disappointment over claims that the conviction of Chairman Wontumi was politically motivated.

“Most of the evidence that we have, the pieces of evidence that we have, which the judge relied on, came from their defence. Defence witnesses, the accused person's own comments, his own witness statement, his own police statement — those were the materials that formed the basis of the conclusion of the judgment,” he said.

He described as shocking claims that the case amounted to political persecution but acknowledged that such reactions were expected in politically charged matters.

“It will be shocking, it is shocking to me, that they would say it's political persecution, but I understand what we do. This is politics in a way. What they are doing is politics,” he said.

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“They issued that statement or had the press conference when they had not even seen the judgment. So, do you expect them now that they've seen the judgment, they will go back and say what we said was wrong? They would never do that; they would rather double down,” he added.

His comments follow the conviction of Chairman Wontumi by an Accra High Court, which sentenced him to 20 years in prison for illegal mining offences involving Akonta Mining Limited.

The court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, found Chairman Wontumi guilty on six counts relating to the assignment of mineral rights without ministerial approval and facilitating mining operations without a licence.

The court held that the prosecution had proven that Chairman Wontumi and his company allowed Henry Okoom and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to undertake mining activities on the company’s concession without obtaining prior approval from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.

In addition to the custodial sentence, Chairman Wontumi was fined GH¢120,000, with a default sentence of three years' imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the NPP has announced its decision to appeal against the court's ruling.

JKB/SEA

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