Following the Accra High Court sentencing the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the full 59-page court ruling detailing everything that transpired during the trial and the reasons behind the court’s decision has surfaced.
The Accra High Court on July 20, 2026, sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The presiding Judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, delivered the sentence shortly after 11:40 am on Monday, July 20, 2026, which brings an end to one of Ghana’s most closely watched illegal mining prosecutions case.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay also imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units on Wontumi, with a default sentence of three years’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay had earlier found Wontumi guilty on all six counts, including assigning mineral rights without approval and purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended.
Wontumi’s 20-year sentence falls within the statutory range of between 15 and 25 years prescribed under the law for the offences.
According to the court, the prosecution had established that Wontumi, as owner and controlling director of Akonta Mining Company Limited, allowed mining activities to take place on the Samreboi concession without the required approval from the Lands Ministry.
The High Court disclosed that Wontumi. 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.
Parts of the Judgement below, “Having listened to counsel for the 1st and 3rd accused persons’ plea in mitigation, the 1st and 3rd accused persons are sentenced as follows: Taking into account the fact that the 1st and 3rd accused persons are first-time offenders, and generally their plea in mitigation, the court sentences the accused persons as follows: On count 1, the 1st accused is sentenced to serve a term of 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour, and also to a fine of 10,000.00 penalty units, in default, to serve three years with hard labour.”
“On count 4, the 1st accused is sentenced to serve a term of 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour, and also to a fine of 10,000.00 penalty units, in default, to serve three years with hard labour. On count 3, the 3rd accused is sentenced to pay a fine of 15,000 penalty units. On count 6, the 3rd accused is sentenced to pay a fine of 15,000 penalty units. The sentences are to run concurrently”.
Read the full judgement below:
@ghnow_ The New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by “The conviction of Chairman Wontumi is not a trophy to appease the Ghanaian people.” — Justin Frimpong Kodua, NPP General Secretary #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “Chairman Wontumi has been convicted in circumstances where there was no evidence to support the offence for which he was convicted.” — Justin Frimpong Kodua, NPP General Secretary #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
