Also known as: Mr. Okum · Mr Henry Okum
Individual named by Wontumi as party to mining concession arrangement at Samreboi; prosecution witness in illegal mining trial.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… During police interrogation, Michael Gyadu Ayisi (PW1) named Henry Okum (PW2) as his employer who directed operations on the concession. …
THE LAW 101: The Akonta Mining JudgmentJoy Online
… So if you give out the concession and you are not monitoring, and the person is mining, you gave it.” He argued that Wontumi had already admitted to allowing another individual, Henry Okum, to operate on the concession without the required ministerial approval. …
‘Cock-and-bull story’ – Kpebu says Wontumi’s reclamation defence fell apartJoy Online
… So if you give out the concession and you are not monitoring, and the person is mining, you gave it.” He argued that Wontumi had already admitted to allowing another individual, Henry Okum, to operate on the concession without the required ministerial approval. …
‘Cock-and-bull story’ – Kpebu says Wontumi’s reclamation defence fell apartJoy Online
… So if you give out the concession and you are not monitoring, and the person is mining, you gave it.” He argued that Wontumi admitted allowing Henry Okum to operate on the concession without first obtaining the minister’s approval required under the law. …
Wontumi ‘nailed himself’ by admitting illegal mining arrangement – Martin KpebuJoy Online
… So if you give out the concession and you are not monitoring, and the person is mining, you gave it.” He argued that Wontumi admitted allowing Henry Okum to operate on the concession without first obtaining the minister’s approval required under the law. …
Wontumi ‘nailed himself’ by admitting illegal mining arrangement – Martin KpebuJoy Online
… Mr Kpebu said previous prosecutions had largely targeted individuals he described as subordinates, while those perceived to be directing or benefiting most from illegal mining remained untouched. “So far, it appears Henry Okum and Michael Ayisi are underlings, and Wontumi is a ki …
A big fish has fallen – Kpebu says Wontumi conviction signals new era in galamsey fightJoy Online
… Mr Kpebu said previous prosecutions had largely targeted individuals he described as subordinates, while those perceived to be directing or benefiting most from illegal mining remained untouched. “So far, it appears Henry Okum and Michael Ayisi are underlings, and Wontumi is a ki …
A big fish has fallen – Kpebu says Wontumi conviction signals new era in galamsey fightJoy Online
… According to him, the two witnesses who testified against Wontumi should be seen as subordinates rather than the principal actors behind the operation. “So far, it appears Henry Okum and then Michael Ayisi are underlings, and Wontumi is a kingpin,” he stated. …
Wontumi was the kingpin, not the underling – Martin KpebuJoy Online
… According to him, the two witnesses who testified against Wontumi should be seen as subordinates rather than the principal actors behind the operation. “So far, it appears Henry Okum and then Michael Ayisi are underlings, and Wontumi is a kingpin,” he stated. …
Wontumi was the kingpin, not the underling – Martin KpebuDaily Guide
… The prosecution proved that Henry Okum was allowed to mine portions of the concession, and the court rejected claims that he was only engaged for reclamation. …
Wontumi Jailed 20 Years Over Akonta Mining CaseA High Court judgment in The Republic v. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Kwame Antwi, and Akonta Mining Company Limited addresses regulatory and criminal frameworks governing mineral exploitation, with implications for corporate governance, statutory compliance, and the fight against galamsey.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A High Court judgment in The Republic v. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Kwame Antwi, and Akonta Mining Company Limited addresses regulatory and criminal frameworks governing mineral exploitation, with implications for corporate governance, statutory compliance, and the fight against galamsey.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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 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 →
Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, has been convicted by the High Court in Accra and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment over the Samreboi mining concession case, becoming the highest-profile political figure convicted in Ghana's fight against illegal mining. Legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says the conviction reflects action against the powerful figures behind galamsey that Ghanaians have long demanded, shifting the anti-mining campaign's focus from lower-level operators to influential kingpins.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, has been convicted by a High Court in Accra and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment over the Samreboi mining concession case, making him the highest-profile political figure convicted in Ghana's fight against illegal mining. Legal practitioner Martin Kpebu said the conviction signals authorities are now targeting powerful figures behind galamsey operations rather than only lower-level operators.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Lawyer Martin Kpebu has described Chairman Wontumi, recently convicted and sentenced to 20 years for illegal mining, as a "kingpin" in Ghana's illegal mining sector, arguing that the conviction reflects authorities targeting masterminds rather than subordinates. The conviction has sparked debate because two individuals who admitted involvement in illegal mining testified as prosecution witnesses and were not prosecuted.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Lawyer Martin Kpebu has described convicted illegal miner Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) as a "kingpin" in Ghana's illegal mining sector, arguing the 20-year prison sentence reflects demands to target masterminds rather than subordinates. The conviction has sparked debate because two individuals who admitted involvement in the illegal mining activities testified as prosecution witnesses and were not prosecuted.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The High Court in Accra sentenced Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, to 20 years in prison on each of two counts related to illegal mining, to run concurrently, and imposed fines of 10,000 penalty units per count. Akonta Mining Limited, which was jointly charged, was convicted and fined 15,000 penalty units per count; the court found the company had assigned mineral rights without ministerial approval and that Wontumi exercised direct control over the mining lease.
20 July 2026 · Daily Guide →
The Accra High Court has convicted Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, on all six charges under the Minerals and Mining Act in connection with illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region. The charges allege that Wontumi and his company Akonta Mining Limited permitted mining operations without ministerial approval and facilitated unlicensed mining in 2024.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Accra High Court has convicted NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako on all six charges of illegal mining on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region, including unlawful assignment of mineral rights and facilitating unlicensed mining operations contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006.
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 →
A High Court in Accra has scheduled July 3, 2026 to deliver judgment in the trial of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi), who is accused of facilitating unlicensed mining on his Akonta Mining Company Limited's Samreboi concession without ministerial approval. He and his company face charges of assignment of mineral rights without approval and purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation under the Minerals and Mining Act.
4 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
Former Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, a defence witness in the Samreboi illegal mining case involving Chairman Wontumi and two others, admitted during cross-examination that he had no personal knowledge of discussions between Chairman Wontumi and prosecution witness Henry Okum regarding the assignment of the mining concession at the centre of the criminal trial.
1 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 →
A mining engineer testifying for Chairman Wontumi's defence told the court that Ghana's mining laws require formal procedures and ministerial approval for assignment of mineral rights, and that verbal permission cannot constitute a valid transfer. Wontumi faces six counts of allegedly permitting mining on his concession without prior ministerial approval and facilitating unlicensed mining.
15 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 →