Edward Akuoko, the Managing Director of Akonta Mining, has broken his silence on his decision to accept the Attorney General deal to become a prosecution witness and testify for the state for his personal interest.
It will be recalled the Office of the Attorney-General (AG) dropped all charges against the Manager of Akonta Mining Company Limited, Mr Edward Akuoko.
The Attorney-General’s move comes after the Akonta Mining General Manager agreed to testify for the state in Wontumi’s Tano Nimire Forest galamsey trial.
In court, the Office of the Attorney-General filed a formal notice at the Accra High Court (Criminal Division) on Monday to drop the charges in accordance with Section 59 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30).
The formal notice was signed by Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem Sai.
The notice added that Edward Akuoko had been discharged from prosecution in connection with all charges brought against him.
The Manager of Akonta Mining Company Limited was facing charges alongside four: Chairman Wontumi; Operations Manager of Akonta Mining, Kwadwo Owusu Bempah; and a co-director of the company, Kwame Antwi, who, along with Bempah, is currently said to be at large.
According to Edward Akuoko, none of the NPP bigwigs reached out to him when he was arrested along with Wontumi.
He noted that all the solidarity messages were aimed towards Chairman Wontumi and not him, which made him worried about the possibility of being jailed.
Edward Akuoko asserted that Wontumi, even if he is jailed, could be granted a presidential pardon when the NPP comes to power, while he would be left to rot in jail.
Speaking on Okay FM on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Edward Akuoko explained his decision, “The day we went to court and we [Wontumi and I] were rearrested and placed in handcuffs, none of the big leaders in the party reached out to me or asked about me. Even attempts by people to show solidarity with Wontumi to secure his release, no one did the same for me. Did you ever hear of free Akuoko?”
“After securing bail, I was advised to agree to become a prosecution witness because I could otherwise be jailed. With Wontumi, even if he were jailed, he could be granted a presidential pardon when his party comes to power, while I would be left to my sad fate. I joined the prosecution witness out of personal interest. I will not lie against Wontumi, but I will speak my truth about the whole case,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lawyer Andy Appiah Kubi, Chairman Wontumi’s legal representative, has expressed disappointment over the AG’s decision to drop charges against the General Manager of Akonta Mining after he agreed to testify against Chairman Wontumi in court.
According to Appiah Kubi, this move by the Attorney General indicates an intention to obstruct justice.
He argued that the way the Attorney General is poaching his own accused persons suggests that there is an intent to undermine the cause of justice.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on November 4, 2025, Appiah-Kubi stated, “… If the Attorney General, with all the materials and all the resources available to him, including human personnel, is just for him to only rely on the former accused person to prosecute a matter against one of the accused persons or some of the accused persons, and he thinks that justice may not be undermined, that is his decision.
I would have thought that his role as Minister of Justice would have persuaded him at all times to be careful that freedom and justice of the moment be served also on all the accused persons until they are proven guilty. The way that the Attorney General appears to be poaching his own accused persons suggests that there is an intent to undermine the cause of justice. We will resist the oppressor’s rule,” he said.
“We have just been served with the notice of withdrawal of the fourth accused person, so they have come under the rules of court and have every right to do so. We are going to prepare our case when they are ready. It doesn’t change our position. We have still pleaded not guilty, and we will come to prosecute the case religiously in the best of our professional expertise,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chairman Wontumi, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, has had two mining cases adjourned.
Wontumi’s mining cases have been adjourned to November 12 and December 4, respectively.
Listen to the audio below:
@officialokayfm Wontumi’s GM breaks silence: “I joined ‘Prosecution Witness’ out of personal interest.” #okayfm ♬ original sound – Okay101.7FM