The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, was aware of his conviction and the precise sentence prior to the Accra High Court’s ruling, according to private lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi.
“Chairman Wontumi had prior information that he would be convicted,” Appiah-Kubi said in an interview with TV3 on July 25, 2026.
He informed me of the ruling’s contents. He informed me that he would spend twenty years behind bars.
“The evidence on the ground does not support the judgement. Per the company law, the company is different for the owner or shareholder.”
“This will form the basis of our appeal,” he said.
The NPP chairman phoned Appiah-Kubi on the morning of the ruling (July 20, 2026), according to Appiah-Kubi, who had previously represented Wontumi before resigning from the case and has subsequently stated he will handle the appeal.
If the expected result came to pass, Wontumi told him to file an appeal.
On July 20, 2026, Wontumi and his business, Akonta Mining Limited, were found guilty by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay of the Accra High Court’s Criminal Division on charges of facilitating unlicensed mining operations on a concession at Samreboi in the Western Region and illegally assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval.
Wontumi was fined 10,000 penalty units for each of the pertinent crimes and sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour (to run consecutively), while the corporation was fined 15,000 penalty units for each count.
The offences are covered by the modified Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
The court’s decision to not impose the maximum sentence was motivated by Wontumi’s treatment as a first-time offender and the necessity for deterrent against environmental damage associated with illicit mining (galamsey).
Appiah-Kubi has publicly disputed with parts of the decision, claiming that the evidence does not justify using company law concepts to equate Wontumi personally with the corporation. This is a major point of contention for the planned appeal.
Wontumi’s conviction has sparked significant reactions. The government and anti-galamsey activists have presented it as accountability in the fight against illicit mining, while the NPP has described it as a miscarriage of justice and mobilised support. An appeal procedure is anticipated.
Source: newsthemegh.com