Sunday, 13 September 2026

Ghana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Sunday, 13 September 2026

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Ghanaian press · Organization

Akonta Mining

Also known as: Akonta Mining Company Ltd · Akonta Mining Services

Mining company linked to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, convicted alongside him for illegal mining at Samreboi.

2026-05-072026-09-13

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

July 2026
16 JulThe Ghanaian Times
… The Office of the Attorney General preferred criminal charges against three accused persons — Antwi-Boasiako, a shareholder of Akonta Mining, and Kwame Antwi, a director of the company. …
Chairman Wontumi seeks Supreme Court interpretation of provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act
June 2026
29 JunJoy Online
… Chairman Wontumi is standing trial in connection with allegations arising from the operations of Akonta Mining, a company linked to him, over alleged illegal mining activities in the Samreboi area of the Western North Region. …
High Court sets July 20 for judgment in Wontumi mining trial
16 JunThe Chronicle
… Background The application followed Appiah-Kubi’s public announcement that he intended to withdraw from representing Chairman Wontumi in the criminal prosecution involving alleged illegal mining activities linked to Akonta Mining. …
High Court dismisses Wontumi lawyer’s application
NPP chairman Wontumi seeks plea deal in bank fraud case
1. 11 JunJoy Online
  … Judgment in the mining case, in which Wontumi and his company Akonta Mining are accused of facilitating unlicensed operations on a concession at Samreboi, is due on July 3. …
  Twice in a year, Chairman Wontumi’s lead lawyer has walked away
2. 11 JunJoy Online
  … The mining cases The two older cases revolve around Akonta Mining, a company Wontumi controls. …
  Where things stand for Chairman Wontumi: Three cases, a looming mining verdict, a plea deal in play
May 2026
25 MayThe Chronicle
… Wontumi further denied any involvement in illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, insisting he neither authorised nor participated in such operations on the concession belonging to Akonta Mining Company Ltd, where he serves as a director. …
Wontumi Tells Court: Those Who Claimed Ownership Of Seized Items Have Been Turned Into Prosecution Witnesses
22 MayJoy Online
The NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Chairman Wontumi, has denied allegations that he authorised prosecution witness Henry Okum to undertake mining activities on Akonta Mining’s concession. …
Wontumi denies authorising illegal mining on Akonta concession
20 MayJoy Online
… This distinction appears to form a central pillar of the defence strategy in the ongoing criminal proceedings involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, and his company, Akonta Mining. …
Wontumi Trial: Ex Deputy Lands Minister says concessionaires were encouraged to reclaim degraded mining lands
7 MayThe Ghanaian Times
… According to him, witness statements have already been prepared for Chairman Wontumi, Akonta Mining, Engineer Gomashi, and Mireku Duker. …
Chairman Wontumi’s Samreboi case adjourned to May 14 after case management hearing

Mining & Energy

High Court ruling on mining lease approval could reshape Ghana's sector

The News

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 →

Monday 7 September

High Court ruling on mining lease approval could reshape Ghana's sector
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 →

Sunday 2 August

Joy News programme examines Wontumi mining conviction and Tamakloe-Attionu appeal acquittal
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 →

Monday 27 July

Atta Akyea takes over Wontumi's illegal mining case trial
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 →

Sunday 26 July

Wontumi's lawyer claims NPP chair knew verdict beforehand
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 →

Friday 24 July

High Court convicts NPP Ashanti Chairman Wontumi for illegal mining
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 →
Wontumi convicted of illegal mining; Ofori-Atta wins US immigration case
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 →
Akonta Mining's Samreboi operations lacked ratified leases and permits
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 →

Thursday 23 July

CHRAJ denies Deputy Commissioner sentenced Chairman Wontumi
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 →

Wednesday 22 July

Chairman Wontumi's conviction signals shift against political impunity
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 →

Tuesday 21 July

Mining legal only within approved areas, Adorye says
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 →
Lawyer: Wontumi's mining defence collapsed under court scrutiny
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 →
Kpebu: Wontumi conviction driven by weak defence, not technicality
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 →
Media Coalition calls for wider galamsey prosecutions beyond Wontumi case
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 →
Fight against galamsey must target all involved parties, coalition says
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 →
Wontumi convicted, sentenced 20 years for illegal mining
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 →
Wontumi convicted in Samreboi illegal mining case; sentenced 20 years
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 →

Monday 20 July

NDC official views Wontumi's sentence as justice for galamsey communities
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 →
Chairman Wontumi sentenced to 20 years for illegal mining
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 →
Media Coalition lauds Wontumi conviction, pushes wider galamsey probe
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 →
High Court set to rule on Wontumi's alleged illegal mining case
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 →

Thursday 16 July

NPP chairman requests Supreme Court interpretation of mining law
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 →

Monday 29 June

High Court sets July 20 for judgment in Wontumi mining trial
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 →

Tuesday 16 June

High Court denies lawyer's bid to drop Wontumi case
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 →

Thursday 11 June

Chairman Wontumi's lead lawyer quits illegal mining trial twice
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 →
NPP chairman Wontumi seeks plea deal in bank fraud case
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 →

Monday 25 May

NPP chairman challenges illegal mining case in High Court
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 →

Friday 22 May

Wontumi denies authorising illegal mining on concession
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 →

Wednesday 20 May

Former lands minister claims mining land reclamation requires no ministerial consent
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 →

Thursday 7 May

Chairman Wontumi's mining case adjourned to May 14 next year
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 →