Businessman and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will know his fate on July 3, 2026, after the Accra High Court scheduled judgment in the ongoing illegal mining case involving him and Akonta Mining Limited.
The court fixed the date after the defence concluded its case on Wednesday, June 3, with the testimony of its final witness, Evans Addae, an Assembly Member for the Samreboi Atigarikrom Electoral Area in the Western Region.
Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited are facing charges of facilitating mining activities on the Samreboi concession without the required ministerial approval, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
The court also directed parties intending to file written addresses to do so by June 17, 2026, ahead of the judgment.
Testifying for the defence, Mr Addae told the court that illegal mining activities had been ongoing on the Samreboi concession since 2021 and continued to date. However, he maintained that the activities were not carried out on the instructions of Chairman Wontumi or Akonta Mining Limited.
To support his testimony, the witness tendered a pen drive containing video footage recorded on May 24, 2026. Defence counsel Andy Appiah-Kubi argued that the footage demonstrated that illegal mining activities were currently taking place on the concession and that those involved were not acting on behalf of the accused persons.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, objected to the admission of the video evidence, arguing that it was irrelevant to the case because the alleged offences occurred in 2025.
“The issues before this court relate to matters that we allege occurred in 2025. The video is therefore of no relevance to the issues in this trial,” he submitted.
Dr Srem-Sai further contended that the footage was self-serving, having been recorded while the trial was ongoing, and noted that the location shown in the video had not been independently verified.
In response, Mr Appiah-Kubi cited Section 60(1) of the Evidence Act, 1975 (NRCD 323), arguing that the footage corroborated the witness’s claim that illegal mining activities persisted on the concession and were not linked to Akonta Mining Limited.
The court admitted the pen drive into evidence, indicating that it would assess its evidential value during its determination of the case.
Under cross-examination, Mr Addae stated that although he knew Chairman Wontumi, he had never personally interacted with him and had never seen him at the Samreboi concession.
Asked whether the accused could have visited the concession without his knowledge, the witness replied that he had no idea but maintained that he had never seen Chairman Wontumi at the site.
He also admitted that he did not know whether Chairman Wontumi had instructed anyone to undertake mining activities on the concession.
The prosecution further questioned Mr Addae about portions of his witness statement in which he described prosecution witness Michael Ayisi Adu as a known illegal miner. The witness confirmed seeing Mr Adu on the concession on several occasions but acknowledged that he had never reported him to the police, Akonta Mining Limited, or any other authority.
Following the witness’s testimony, Mr Appiah-Kubi formally announced the closure of the defence case.
“That will be the end of the case of A1 and A3,” counsel told the court.
The Accra High Court is expected to deliver its judgment on July 3, 2026.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
