Also known as: Akonta Mining Company Ltd · Akonta Mining Services
Mining company linked to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, convicted with him to 20 years for illegal mining at Samreboi.
News reports
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Every mention in the Ghanaian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Ghanaian Times
… Adorye further stated that the former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had publicly indicated that Akonta Mining did not have a permit to operate in the area where the alleged illegal mining took place. …
Mining becomes illegal when operators work outside approved areas- Hopeson AdoryeJoy Online
… According to Mr Kpebu, the evidence showed that Akonta Mining, the company linked to Wontumi, had been granted the concession, making him responsible for activities carried out there. …
‘Cock-and-bull story’ – Kpebu says Wontumi’s reclamation defence fell apartJoy Online
… According to Mr Kpebu, the evidence showed that Akonta Mining, the company linked to Wontumi, had been granted the concession, making him responsible for activities carried out there. …
‘Cock-and-bull story’ – Kpebu says Wontumi’s reclamation defence fell apartJoy Online
… The coalition said the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, should not be limited to the Akonta Mining case but must extend to politically exposed persons, financiers and other individuals who facilitate the illegal trade, regardless of their political affil …
Galamsey fight must target all politically exposed persons, financiers – Media CoalitionJoy Online
… The coalition said the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, should not be limited to the Akonta Mining case but must extend to politically exposed persons, financiers and other individuals who facilitate the illegal trade, regardless of their political affil …
Galamsey fight must target all politically exposed persons, financiers – Media CoalitionJoy Online
… According to Kpebu, the central issue was not simply that illegal mining took place, but that Akonta Mining, the company licensed to operate the concession, remained responsible for what happened there. …
Wontumi ‘nailed himself’ by admitting illegal mining arrangement – Martin KpebuJoy Online
… According to Kpebu, the central issue was not simply that illegal mining took place, but that Akonta Mining, the company licensed to operate the concession, remained responsible for what happened there. …
Wontumi ‘nailed himself’ by admitting illegal mining arrangement – Martin KpebuJoy Online
… Kidneys have now been destroyed because of the activities of Akonta Mining and its affiliates,” he said. …
Wontumi’s 20-year sentence serves justice to communities devastated by galamsey – Tanko ComputerJoy Online
… The High Court on Monday, July 20, found Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining, guilty of engaging in illegal mining activities at the company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region. …
Wontumi to appeal 20-year jail sentence for illegal miningJoy Online
… He singled out Erastus Asare Donkor for his investigative work, particularly his reports on the alleged involvement of Akonta Mining in illegal mining activities within the Tano River Forest Reserve. …
Wontumi conviction: Ken Ashigbey commends Erastus Asare Donkor, urges wider probe into illegal mining networksA police investigator testified at the High Court that former Ashanti NPP Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Wontumi) is a "critical culprit" in alleged illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest, saying his agents used mining equipment in the area on his instructions, though Wontumi did not personally operate any equipment.
26 October 2026 · Joy Online →
A police investigator testified at the High Court that former Ashanti NPP Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Wontumi) is a "critical culprit" in alleged illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest, saying his agents used mining equipment in the area on his instructions, though Wontumi did not personally operate any equipment.
26 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The High Court's 20-year sentence of Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi) for mining activities on Akonta Mining's concession centered on whether a mining lease holder can permit another person to mine without ministerial approval. The Court ruled that such permission—whether formal or verbal—requires approval from the Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources, potentially establishing an important legal precedent for Ghana's mining industry.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →
JoyNews' The Law examined two recent high-profile court decisions: the Accra High Court's conviction of NPP's Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) and Akonta Mining to 20 years' imprisonment for unlawfully assigning mineral rights and facilitating illegal mining without approvals, and the Court of Appeal's acquittal of former MASLOC Chief Executive Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu after finding prosecutorial flaws and insufficient evidence in her original conviction.
2 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Samuel Atta Akyea has become lead counsel for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve illegal mining case, following the voluntary withdrawal of his former lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi. The trial resumes at the Accra High Court on July 31, 2026.
27 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Private legal practitioner Andy Appiah-Kubi, formerly Wontumi's lawyer, claims the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP had prior knowledge of his conviction in the Samreboi illegal mining case before judgment was delivered, and that Wontumi had told him he would be sentenced to 20 years. Appiah-Kubi disagrees with the conviction, arguing the court wrongly treated Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining as one entity, and says this will form the basis of the appeal.
26 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The High Court convicted NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) over illegal mining activities linked to Akonta Mining and sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment. The government says the verdict demonstrates no one is above the law, while the opposition argues it is politically tainted and has vowed to appeal.
24 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The High Court convicted NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) of illegal mining and sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment, with government calling it evidence that no one is above the law and opposition calling it politically tainted. A United States immigration court found that the Office of the Special Prosecutor failed to provide sufficiently credible evidence in proceedings involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, though the OSP rejected suggestions that its case has collapsed.
24 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A legal analysis examines a High Court judgment from May 19, 2023, concerning Akonta Mining Services and Chairman Wontumi's operations in Samreboi forest reserves, as part of a broader chronicle of natural resource litigation involving unratified leases, missing permits, and allegations of civil trespass against the company.
24 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice has dismissed as false social media claims that its Deputy Commissioner Mercy Larbi presided over the High Court proceedings that sentenced NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako to 20 years' imprisonment, stating she neither presided over the case nor played any role in the proceedings.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
An opinion piece argues that Chairman Wontumi's 20-year sentence represents a turning point in enforcing the law against politically connected figures, and calls for scrutiny of former officials over their handling of illegal mining complaints allegedly involving politically exposed persons.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Director of Field Operations of the United Party, Hopeson Adorye, said mining in Ghana is lawful only when operators work within areas approved under their licences; it becomes illegal when miners operate outside approved areas, such as forest reserves or water bodies. He commented on the conviction of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako for illegal mining, noting that the prosecution successfully proved the case and that a witness from Boasiako's company testified the activities constituted illegal mining rather than land reclamation.
21 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu said NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako's 20-year prison sentence for illegal mining offences in the Samreboi concession case was driven by the weakness of his own defence. Kpebu argued that Akonta Mining, the company linked to Wontumi, held the concession, making him responsible for unauthorised mining activities carried out there.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu said NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako's conviction on illegal mining charges was caused by the weakness of his own defence, calling his reclamation-work explanation a "cock-and-bull story" that did not withstand court evidence. Kpebu argued that as directing mind of Akonta Mining, which held the Samreboi concession, Wontumi was responsible for mining activities there and had admitted to allowing operations without ministerial approval.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey says the conviction of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako should be followed by prosecution of all persons implicated in illegal mining, including politically exposed persons and financiers, regardless of political affiliation.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey says the prosecution of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako should be followed by action against all politically exposed persons, financiers, and others implicated in illegal mining, regardless of political affiliation, to ensure fair and consistent enforcement of mining laws.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The High Court convicted Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) of illegal mining offences at the Samreboi mining concession and sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment. Legal analyst Martin Kpebu said Wontumi's own admission that he allowed another person to operate on his mining concession without ministerial authorisation strengthened the prosecution's case.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The High Court convicted NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) of illegal mining offences related to the Samreboi mining concession and sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment. Legal analyst Martin Kpebu noted that Wontumi's admission of allowing Henry Okum to operate on his concession without the minister's required approval effectively strengthened the prosecution's case.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Democratic Congress Deputy Director of IT and Elections says the 20-year sentence handed to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako represents justice for communities devastated by illegal mining, citing polluted water bodies, destroyed forests, and health concerns affecting residents.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The NPP Chairman in the Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), and his company Akonta Mining were convicted by the Accra High Court on July 20 for illegal mining at Samreboi in the Western Region and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment; he plans to appeal the sentence.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining has commended investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor's reporting on illegal mining and called on the government to expand investigations into all individuals and networks implicated in galamsey, rather than treating the conviction of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) as an isolated case.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Accra High Court is expected to deliver judgment on July 20 in an alleged illegal mining case involving NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), though the defence has applied to halt proceedings pending a Supreme Court constitutional decision. Wontumi, charged through his company Akonta Mining over alleged illegal mining at Samreboi in the Western Region, has denied the allegations.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, has asked the High Court in Accra to refer provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act to the Supreme Court for interpretation. He faces charges of leasing his mining concession at Samreboi in the Western Region contrary to the Act, and his counsel argues that a key provision (Section 14(1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006) is legally vague, overbroad and unconstitutional.
16 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
The High Court in Accra has granted Bernard Antwi Boasiako's new lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, until July 13, 2026, to submit written legal arguments in the criminal trial arising from alleged illegal mining activities at Samreboi, with judgment expected on July 20, 2026.
29 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Criminal Division 4 of the High Court in Accra dismissed lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi's application to withdraw as counsel for Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) in the Samreboi illegal mining case. The court found the application lacked legal authority and had not been served on the accused persons, requiring Appiah-Kubi to remain counsel as the trial continues.
16 June 2026 · The Chronicle →
Andy Appiah-Kubi, the lead lawyer for NPP Ashanti chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has walked away from defending him in an illegal mining case for the second time in over a year, citing "unseen influences" compromising the trial's integrity. The departure comes as judgment is due July 3 and as Wontumi separately seeks plea negotiations in a fraud case involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, Ashanti regional chairman of the opposition NPP and a businessman known as Chairman Wontumi, has asked prosecutors to negotiate a plea bargain in a multi-million-cedi bank fraud case related to Ghana Export-Import Bank. He is simultaneously fighting two other cases concerning alleged illegal mining and running for the NPP's national chairmanship.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako testified before the High Court that individuals who claimed ownership of seized items have been turned into prosecution witnesses against him, while denying involvement in illegal mining activities on a concession where he serves as director.
25 May 2026 · The Chronicle →
NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako denied in court that he authorised mining on Akonta Mining's concession, saying his arrangement with witness Henry Okum was only for land reclamation and coconut cultivation. The prosecution contends that he knowingly allowed mining activities and intentionally distanced himself from operations.
22 May 2026 · Joy Online →
The former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources testified in the High Court that land reclamation on mining concessions constitutes mine support services, which are legally distinct from the assignment or transfer of mineral rights and do not require the same level of ministerial approval under Ghana's Minerals and Mining Act. This testimony formed part of the defence case for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako in the Samreboi illegal mining case.
20 May 2026 · Joy Online →
A case management hearing in the Samreboi mining case involving Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako has been concluded, with the court adjourning proceedings to May 14, 2026. Chairman Wontumi and co-accused are on trial for allegedly transferring mining rights in Akonta Mining's Samreboi concession to a third party without approval from the Minister responsible for Mines.
7 May 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →