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The High Court in Accra has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, after he failed to appear in court without permission.
When the case was called on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 9:40 a.m., the prosecution team led by Chief State Attorney Stella Ohene Appiah was present. However, both the accused and his legal team were absent without providing any explanation.
Presiding judge Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay expressed her displeasure at the absence, emphasizing that the day’s proceedings were meant for filing disclosures and case management. She explained that although the court did not assign a specific appearance time after granting bail on October 7, it was expected that the accused and his lawyers would be in court by 9 a.m.
“Having not given any notice to the court as to their absence, a bench warrant is issued for the arrest of the accused,” Justice Kocuvi-Tay ruled.
Chairman Wontumi, along with Akonta Mining Company Limited and its director, Kwame Antwi, faces six charges related to illegal mining operations and the unlawful assignment of mineral rights. The charges, filed on October 6, 2025, include three counts of assigning mineral rights without approval and three counts of facilitating unlicensed mining operations, all contrary to provisions in the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Act 995.
According to the charge sheet, Wontumi, a 49-year-old entrepreneur from Kuntanase in the Ashanti Region, is a shareholder and director of Akonta Mining Company Limited. The company, incorporated in 2010, operates mainly in the Samreboi area of the Western Region. Investigations revealed that Wontumi has exercised full control over the company’s operations since its inception, while the second accused, Kwame Antwi, has been untraceable for years.
Police investigations, part of the government’s crackdown on illegal mining (galamsey), led to the arrest of 29 individuals at Akonta Mining’s concession in April 2025. Items retrieved during the operation included eight pump-action guns, gold pieces, 310 live cartridges, 25 excavators, cash amounting to GH₵157,000, and other mining equipment.
Prosecutors stated that at the end of the trial, they will request a forfeiture order for all seized items. Investigations also revealed that Wontumi permitted a man named Henry Okum to conduct mining operations on the concession without obtaining the necessary ministerial approval.
Chairman Wontumi and the other accused persons have pleaded not guilty and are currently under investigation for alleged breaches of mining regulations.
