Ghana Minute.
Monday, 14 September 2026
Ghana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Monday, 14 September 2026
Accra—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Ghanaian press · Person

Henry Okum

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.

2026-05-072026-09-14

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. July 2026
  2. Joy Online

    Prosecutors allege that in 2024, he permitted Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to undertake mining operations within the company’s concession without first obtaining the prior written approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.

    Wontumi Samreboi Case: Full charges under Minerals and Mining Act
  3. Joy Online

    The court said Mr Antwi-Boasiako permitted Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to undertake mining activities on the concession without obtaining the prior written approval required under Section 14(1) of Act 703.

    Court convicts Wontumi on six illegal mining charges over Samreboi concession
  4. The Ghanaian Times

    Mr Henry Okum, a small-scale miner, had earlier told the court that he had a verbal agreement with Mr Boasiako to mine on his concession at Samreboi.

    Chairman Wontumi seeks Supreme Court interpretation of provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act
  5. June 2026
  6. Daily Guide

    Prosecution’s Case Prosecution’s first witness, Michael Gyedu Ayisi, an artisanal miner, told the court that he worked under Henry Okum on the Samreboi concession and that he got to know that the concession belonged to Wontumi based on information provided by Okum.

    Samreboi Mining Case: Wontumi Faces Judgment July 3
  7. Joy Online

    During cross-examination, Darko-Mensah admitted that he had no personal knowledge of discussions between Chairman Wontumi, the first accused person, and Henry Okum, a prosecution witness, regarding the assignment of the Samreboi concession.

    Wontumi Trial: Former Western Regional Minister admits he did not witness key Samreboi deal
  8. May 2026
  9. The Chronicle

    Law Courts Complex, Accra Wontumi also denied allegations that he granted permission to one Henry Okum to undertake mining activities on the concession or assisted him in acquiring heavy-duty equipment.

    Wontumi Tells Court: Those Who Claimed Ownership Of Seized Items Have Been Turned Into Prosecution Witnesses
  10. Joy 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
  11. Joy Online

    Chairman Wontumi and his company are facing six counts relating to allegations that they permitted Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to mine on the company’s concession without prior ministerial approval, while also facilitating unlicensed mining activities.

    Wontumi trial: Defence witness says verbal mining deals have no legal standing
  12. The Ghanaian Times

    Chairman Wontumi and his co-accused are standing trial for allegedly transferring or assigning mining rights in respect of Akonta Mining’s Samreboi concession to a third party, Henry Okum, without approval from the Minister responsible for Mines, contrary to the Minerals and Mini

    Chairman Wontumi’s Samreboi case adjourned to May 14 after case management hearing

Wednesday 22 July

  1. High Court delivers Akonta Mining judgment on galamsey

    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

Tuesday 21 July

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. NPP Ashanti Chairman Wontumi convicted in mining case, signals shift

    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

  6. NPP chairman Wontumi convicted, sentenced to 20 years in galamsey case

    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

  7. Lawyer says Wontumi conviction targets galamsey kingpin, not underling

    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

  8. Lawyer: Wontumi conviction targets kingpin, not underling

    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

Monday 20 July

  1. Ashanti NPP Chairman Wontumi Sentenced 20 Years for Illegal Mining

    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

  2. NPP Ashanti Chair Wontumi convicted on six mining charges

    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

  3. NPP chairman Wontumi convicted on six illegal mining charges

    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

Thursday 16 July

  1. 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

Thursday 4 June

  1. High Court sets July 3, 2026 for Wontumi mining case judgment

    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

Monday 1 June

  1. Wontumi trial witness admits no knowledge of Samreboi concession deal

    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

Monday 25 May

  1. 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

  1. 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

Friday 15 May

  1. Defence witness: verbal mining deals lack legal standing in Ghana

    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

Thursday 7 May

  1. 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

Henry Okum — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute