Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after the Accra High Court found him guilty of offences connected to illegal mining at the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who presided over the Criminal Division of the High Court, delivered the ruling on Monday, July 20, 2026, bringing an end to one of the country’s most closely followed illegal mining cases.
Before handing down the sentence, the court dismissed the defence’s application to refer constitutional issues raised during the trial to the Supreme Court. The application, filed on July 16, 2026, argued that aspects of the defence’s written address required interpretation by the apex court.
However, Justice Kocuvie-Tay ruled that Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) was clear and did not conflict with Article 19(11) of the 1992 Constitution, paving the way for sentencing.
The court had earlier convicted Wontumi on all six charges, including assigning mineral rights without the required approval and intentionally facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act. The offences carry a statutory custodial sentence of between 15 and 25 years.
In addition to the prison term, the court fined him 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000. If the fine is not paid, he will serve an additional three-year prison term. The court, however, ordered that the custodial sentence and the default sentence would run concurrently.
Akonta Mining Company Limited, which was also prosecuted in connection with the case, escaped a custodial sentence after the court imposed a financial penalty instead. The judge said the decision was based on mitigating circumstances presented during the proceedings.
During mitigation, counsel for Wontumi, led by Samuel Atta Akyea, pleaded with the court to impose the minimum sentence of 15 years. The defence argued that the NPP chairman had cooperated with investigators, faithfully attended court throughout the trial, expressed remorse and had no previous criminal convictions. They also urged the court to consider his contributions to his family, community and the nation.
Despite the plea for leniency, Justice Kocuvie-Tay sentenced Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after considering the submissions of both the prosecution and the defence.
