The Accra High Court has directed the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, to open his defence in a case involving alleged illegal mining activities on a concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining Company Limited, are facing charges for allegedly transferring or assigning mining rights on the Samreboi concession to Henry Okum without the approval of the sector minister responsible for lands and natural resources.
Both the politician and his company have denied the allegations and are currently on bail.
Delivering a ruling on Monday, March 16, the presiding judge, Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, dismissed a submission of no case filed by the defence, indicating that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence requiring a response from the accused persons.
“From the evidence so far there is rebuttable presumption that the first and third accused have committed the offences as charged. The prosecution has made case against the accused,” the judge ruled.
Following the decision, the court ordered Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining to open their defence. Since the NPP regional chairman is also representing his company in the matter, the responsibility to respond to the charges falls on him.
Prosecution’s Case
The prosecution called four witnesses before closing its case.
The first witness, Michael Gyedu Ayisi, an artisanal miner who worked as a site supervisor, told the court he operated on the Samreboi concession under the direction of Henry Okum. According to him, his knowledge about the ownership of the concession came through Okum.
However, during cross-examination, he admitted he had no documentary evidence linking Chairman Wontumi to any formal assignment or transfer of the mining rights. He also stated that he had never met the NPP regional chairman nor seen him at the mining site.
The second witness, Henry Okum, testified that his arrangement with Chairman Wontumi was based on a verbal agreement which allowed him to undertake reclamation and mining activities on the concession.
A police investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Sarfo Asiedu Kwasi, who testified as the third prosecution witness, told the court about an operation carried out by police at Samreboi and areas within the Tano Nimiri Forest reserve.
He said 29 suspects were arrested during the operation, while excavators, quantities of gold, firearms, ammunition and cash were also retrieved.
Under cross-examination, the investigator acknowledged that Chairman Wontumi was not present at the location when the operation was conducted. He also noted that none of the individuals arrested were confirmed to be employees of Akonta Mining.
The fourth prosecution witness, Joseph Iroko, a Senior Manager in charge of Legal Affairs at the Minerals Commission, explained the legal procedures governing mining concessions.
He told the court that Ghana’s mining regulations require any assignment, transfer or sublease of mineral rights to receive prior written approval from the minister responsible for mines after an application has been submitted to the Minerals Commission.
Despite the defence’s argument that the prosecution had failed to prove that Akonta Mining transferred its concession to any entity, the court ruled that the evidence presented so far warrants a defence from the accused.
The case is expected to continue as Chairman Wontumi begins presenting his defence before the court.
