Wontumi to face judgment in Samreboi concession case on July 3

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Chairman Wontumi

The Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others will face judgment on July 3 in the high-profile illegal mining case.

According to the Deputy Attorney-General, Justice Srem-Sai confirmed that the Accra High Court has scheduled July 3 for its final judgment in the case of The Republic vs Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and two others.

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In a post shared by Justice Srem-Sai on X read, “The Accused Persons in the case – THE REPUBLIC v BERNARD ANTWI-BOASIAKO & 2 OTHERS – called their 5th and last witness today. The witness was discharged from the witness box a while ago.

That brought the entire trial to an end. The judge has scheduled July 3 for judgment”.

It will be recalled that Chairman Wontumi and other persons are standing trial for allegedly undertaking mining operations on a concession at Samreboi in the Western Region without the consent of the sector minister.

The state has also accused Wontumi of permitting two individuals to undertake mining activities on the concession without authority and facilitating those operations.

Earlier, the court gave  Chairman Wontumi a 7-day ultimatum to file a witness statement or face judgment.

In court on Thursday, May 21, Wontumi mounted the witness box to testify in his trial under cross-examination by the Deputy Attorney General for his alleged illegal mining operations on his Samreboi concession.

Wontumi, among other things, claimed that he was unaware that the prosecution’s second witness, Henry Okum, was undertaking mining activities on his concession because he had an agreement with him to carry out reclamation exercises.

“I didn’t give him permission to mine. He came to reclaim the land and plant coconut trees so that when the coconuts mature, we would share,” he told the court.

Wontumi further denied allegations that he assisted witness Henry Okum (PW2) to engage in mining activities on the concession of Akonta Mining by acquiring excavators or other earth-moving equipment for mining operations.

“That is not true. I do not know the kind of work he carried out beyond reclamation and planting trees. I did not assist him in purchasing any earth-moving equipment,” he stated.

Part of the cross-examination by the Deputy Attorney General and Wontumi is as follows.

“Srem-Sai: I am putting it to you that it is because you knew that he is a small-scale miner that you gave him permission to enter A3’s concession and to mine.

Wontumi: My lady, that is not true. Akonta Mining, our interest is gold. And that you have to pay millions of dollars before you acquire a mining license. And if the reason why we acquired the license is gold, why would we give the profit that we will gain from mining to another person to mine, while Akonta Mining will not gain anything from it? So, it is not true.

He (Henry Okum) came that he wanted to reclaim the land and plant coconut so that when it matures, we share. Akonta Mining never had any mining contract with him, and he is also not part of Akonta Mining.

“Srem-Sai: I am putting it to you that because you knew the purpose of allowing him to enter A3’s concession was to mine you helped him to purchase heavy-duty earth-moving equipment to use on the land for mining.

Wontumi: That is not true. From the beginning, when I was called at the police station, they told me that Mr Martin Kpebu says I have gone to do galamsey. And that they have arrested people with guns, cars and gold, which they said was mine. When the time came for evidence to be taken, the one who reported me did not avail himself for me to question him. The guns, the ammunition, the gold, the cars are not mine.

Martin Kpebu and co. who made a report that they have arrested PW2 and PW1 that they when done to see gold, guns, ammunition’s and cars and they said they were not doing galamsey and I was not arrested at the scene where I have not given permission to any one neither has A3 given permission to anyone to go and mine on the concession and all the items they confiscated at the scene and I do not know anything about them, I rather has been brought to court and the people who claimed the items belong to them have been left and brought to court as witnesses against me.

Srem-Sai: I am putting it to you that you chose not to visit A3’s concession and to be seen there simply because you want to avoid any physical connection which with what PW2 and his employees were doing for you.

Wontumi: My lady, that is not true. Now that I have been brought here, what they are charging me with is that a land that belongs to Akonta Mining, I have assigned it to PW2. My Lady, I cannot do that. It is only the minister who has that power to do that.”

See the post below:

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