Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is currently facing a serious legal battle involving multiple charges related to alleged illegal mining operations. These accusations are primarily centered around his company, Akonta Mining Company Limited, and activities within the protected Tano Nimire Forest Reserve in the Western Region.

The legal proceedings involve two separate cases. Chairman Wontumi had previously appeared in court, where he was placed on a stop list and granted GH₵15 million bail after pleading not guilty to six mining-related charges. Subsequently, he faced a fresh set of seven charges before the High Court, alongside four others and Akonta Mining Company Limited. These new charges allege unlawful mining operations, environmental destruction, and obstruction of forestry officials.

The seven charges, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General, cover various offences under Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act, Forest Protection Act, and Criminal Offences Act. These include undertaking mining operations without a valid licence, unlawfully felling trees in a forest reserve, and erecting structures within a forest reserve without proper authority, along with charges of abetment for some of these acts.

Specifically, Akonta Mining Company Limited is accused under Count One of carrying out mining activities in 2022 at Samreboi without a valid licence, in contravention of Section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Act 995. Count Two implicates Chairman Wontumi and Kwame Antwi (currently at large), alleging they conducted mining operations as owners and directors of Akonta Mining Company Limited within the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve without authorisation. Furthermore, Count Three accuses the company’s General Manager, Edward Akuoku, and Operations Manager, Kwadwo Owusu Bempah (alias Sly, also at large), of operating without the required licence in the forest reserve.

Regarding environmental violations, Akonta Mining Company Limited faces Count Four for unlawfully felling over 300 merchantable trees and numerous saplings in the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve, an act contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Forest Protection Act, 1974 (NRCD 243), as amended by Act 624. Count Five extends this to Wontumi and three others, accusing them of aiding and facilitating this unauthorised felling of trees, thereby violating both the Forest Protection Act and Section 20(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The charges also include allegations of unauthorised construction. Under Count Six, Akonta Mining Company Limited is accused of erecting buildings and other structures in the forest reserve without prior approval, which is contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of NRCD 243, as amended. Count Seven alleges that Wontumi, along with the same co-accused, facilitated the construction of these buildings in the forest reserve without obtaining written authority from the competent forestry authority.

According to court documents, Akonta Mining Company Limited was incorporated in 2010, listing Wontumi and Kwame Antwi as its shareholders and directors. However, investigations revealed that Wontumi has since exercised absolute control over the company’s operations. In August 2022, despite the Ministry refusing Akonta Mining’s request for a mining permit in the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve, forestry officials later discovered dozens of excavators branded with the company’s logo actively mining inside the reserve. The illegal operations allegedly caused severe environmental destruction, including the pollution of the Tano River, the loss of significant vegetation, and the felling of hundreds of trees across an estimated 13 hectares of forest land.

Investigators also detailed a violent confrontation between the company’s armed personnel and a team from the Forestry Commission who had attempted to seize mining equipment at the site. The officials were reportedly forced to return the seized items before being allowed to leave. Following extensive investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Chairman Wontumi and two other suspects were arrested and subsequently charged. Two other accused persons, Kwame Antwi and Kwadwo Owusu Bempah, remain at large.

Chairman Wontumi appeared before the Accra High Court on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, alongside representatives of Akonta Mining Company Limited and other associates. He pleaded not guilty to all seven charges levelled against him in this second case. After hearing submissions from both the prosecution and defence, the court admitted Chairman Wontumi to bail in the sum of GH₵10 million with two sureties, one of whom must justify with landed property.

However, combining the GH₵15 million bail from the earlier case with the GH₵10 million bail from the new charges, Chairman Wontumi faced a total bail requirement of GH₵25 million. Failing to meet these combined bail conditions, he spent the night in police custody. The case is expected to continue as the prosecution presents its evidence against the accused.