Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, is expected to call his next witness on May 28, 2026.
Failure to do so would be in breach of the directive of the High Court presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay in the ongoing trial over the alleged assignment of mineral rights without prior written authorization from the Minister in the Samreboi case.
He has pleaded not guilty, and following the closure of the prosecution’s case, he is now calling witnesses.
So far, he has called two witnesses in addition to himself. He is expected back in court on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Below is his full cross-examination by Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai after his witness statement was adopted as his evidence-in-chief.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF 1ST AND 3RD ACCUSED PERSONS BY COUNSEL FOR REPUBLIC ON THURSDAY MAY 21, 2026
Q: for Question
A: for Answer
Q: Do you know anyone by name Kwame Antwi?
A: Yes, my lady.
Q: Where does he live?
A: He was then living at Tarkwa but between the year 2021/2022 he made his mind to travel, since then I have not heard from him.
Q: How are you related to this Kwame Antwi?
A:We are directors of Akonta Mining Company Limited.
Q: Tell the court the last time you as directors of Akonta Mining Company Limited filed your Annual Returns with the office of the Registrar of Companies?
A: My lady, I cannot remember.
Q:Have you ever filed an annual return on behalf of A3 with the Registrar of Companies?
COUNSEL FOR A1 AND A3: I object to this question. The grounds of objection is relevance. This court is handling the criminal charges of assignment of Mining Rights to a 3rd party and also, facilitating provision of Mining Support Service, all without prior approval from the Minister in charge. The question under cross-examination appear to direct us into the realm of company law where the accused person has not through his evidence-in-chief demonstrated any competence whatsoever. We consider this as a surprise to him and therefore not relevant in the subject matter being presided over by this court. We so submit.
COUNSEL FOR REPUBLIC: My lady, the witness is the owner and a director of the 3rd accused person. He has told this court that he is testifying for himself and the 3rd accused person. The second accused person Kwame Antwi is also a director of A3. In his witness statement, the witness has admitted all these facts and has maintained in his witness statement that they complied with law and regulations. My lady, it is also about the credibility of the witness, whether indeed he is someone who complies with law and if I am allowed to ask a few more questions, it would be clear that this question is relevant to the determination of issues in this trial. We pray that the objection be overruled.
BY COURT: Having listened and considered the submission of both learned counsel, it is the view of this court that, the question is relevant and same should be allowed. The objection is overruled.
Q: Have you ever filed an annual return on behalf of A3 with the Office of the Registrar of Companies?
A: My lady, the company is not operating.
Q: I am suggesting to you that you have never filed your annual returns on behalf of A3 to the Office of the Registrar of Companies?
A: We have never operated.
Q: I am putting it to you that a company is bound to file its returns regardless of whether it has worked or operated or not?
A: I don’t know.
Q: Have you ever held a Board of Directors meeting for A3?
A: No, my lady, we have never held a Board of Directors meeting.
Q: Has A3 ever been engaged in a civil litigation with a company called Samartex Timber and Plywood Company Limited?
A: Yes, my lady.
Q: The subject matter of that litigation was on the operations of A3, do you know?
A: That is not so.
Q: Take a look at this document, it is a copy of the court’s ruling in the case that A3 had with Samartex Timber and Plywood Limited in the Sekondi High Court, is that not so?
A: My lady, yes. Samartex Company is a Timber Company and they are on the same land the Government gave me as a lease. And so, when we got our licence to work, we were supposed to know where we have to build structures and where we were to place our machines when they are brought. They also told us that that is the same place that they would also want to build their office, so they took us to court. The court stated to us that we have a lease for mining and they also have a licence to lumber. But we do not have Parliament ratification to work so we should go and complete documentation before if we have anything to do, we do same. That is why I am saying that we have never worked.
COUNSEL FOR REPUBLIC: We wish to tender the judgment of the High Court, Western Region Sekondi delivered on 19th May 2023. We have disclosed it and it is item number 74 on the submission of documents filed on October 31, 2025.
COUNSEL FOR A1 AND A3: This is a photocopy, not certified and does not represent the document from a court certified under the hand of a Registrar.
COUNSEL FOR REPUBLIC: The document is a certified true copy; there is a stamp on it.
BY COURT: I have examined the document and I find the certification of the Registrar of the Court albeit as a photocopy, so it is admitted for what it is worth as Exhibit K.
Q: I am putting it to you that based on everything you have said, it is not true that A3 has not commenced business.
A: That is not true, we never worked.
Q:Do you know PW2, Mr Henry Okum?
A: My lady, I got to know him when he went to Akonta, but before then I did not know him.
Q: Tell the court when PW2 went to Akonta, year, date?
A: I got to know that in 2024, Mr Okum said he had gone to Minerals Commission and has seen that Akonta Mining Company Limited is located at that site.
Q: PW2 is a small-scale miner, true or false?
A: I do not know.
Q:On January 15, 2026, PW2 told this court that you wrote a letter on behalf of A3 to REGSEC (Western Region Regional Security Council) to clear illegal miners from A3’s concession, did you write that letter?
A: My lady, I remember that since we started appearing before this court and up till now, galamsey miners about 40 groups are on the land currently as we speak. So, I wrote a letter to the Director of CID.
Q: On Tuesday May 19th 2026, Mr Mireku Duker DW2 told this court that you wrote a letter to the Regional Security Council Western Region to go and clear A3’s concession of illegal miners, did you write that letter or any such letter?
A: Yes, my lady.
Q: You handed A3’s concession to PW2 to enter and work, true or false?
A: That is not true.
Q: You also assisted PW2 to purchase earthmoving equipment including excavators so he could use them to work on A3’s concession, true or false?
A: That is not so. What I know is that Mr. Okum went onto the site to cover the dug holes on the site and I have also not assisted him to purchase any earthmoving equipment.
Q: You gave permission to PW2 to go onto A3’s concession, did you ever go there to see what he was doing on the land after you have allowed him to go onto the land?
A: I have not been onto the land but what I know is that, he has reclaimed the land and planted about 18,000 coconut trees on it, per the video he sent to me.
Q: Do you know it is the duty of a Mineral Right Holder to ensure that the concession he is given is used only in accordance with the terms of the licence he has been given?
A:Yes, my lady.
Q: I am putting it to you that by failing to go and see what exactly PW2 was doing on the land, you have not performed your duties?
A: My lady, that is not true.
Q: Do you have any record of what you told PW2 to go and do on A3’s concession?
A: I do not have any documentary issues with PW2 apart from that he should reclaim the land and plant coconut trees which he has done that. And that when it matures, we share. That is why Mr Ernest Obeng and Henry Owusu and Alhassan Mohammed said they reclaimed the land and planted coconut.
Q: Apart from documents which you have told this court that you did not have to evidence your instructions to PW2, do you have any other record which evidences this alleged instruction to PW2 that he could only carry out reclamation on A3’s concession?
A: No, my lady, there is none.
Q: I am suggesting to you that, you knew at the time that PW2 approached you that PW2 was a small-scale miner.
A: My lady, I am not aware. He told me that he was a service support miner.
Q: I am putting it to you that it is because he knew that he is a small-scale miner that you gave him permission to enter A3’s concession and to mine.
A: My lady, that is not true. Akonta Mining our interest is gold. And that you have to pay more than millions of dollars before you acquire a mining licence and if the reason why we acquire the licence is gold, why would we give the profit that we could gain from mining to another person to mine whiles Akonta Mining will not get anything from it. And so, it is not true. He came that he wanted to reclaim the land and plant coconut and not for mining, 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.
Q: 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 earthmoving equipment to use on the land for mining.
A: My lady, 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 which they claim belongs to me. 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, ammunitions, the gold, the cars are all not mine. Now, Martin Kpebu and Co. who made a report that PW2 and PW1 that they have arrested were doing galamsey, who have gone to see gold, guns, ammunitions and cars and they said they were doing galamsey and I was not arrested at the scene. I have not given permission to anyone, neither has A3 given permission to anyone to mine on our land. And all the items they confiscated at the scene does not belong to me and I do not know anything about it. I have been brought to court and the people who claim the items belongs to them have been left and brought to court as witnesses against me.
Q: Finally, 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 with what PW2 and his employees were doing for you.
A: My lady, that is not true. Now that I have been brought here, what they are charging me for 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 the power to do that.
Q: Finally, I am putting it to you that it is your business model to acquire mining lease but to allow other people to engage in the actual illegal mining activity and to pass on the proceeds to you.
A: My lady, that is not true. It is a cruel lie that has no evidence to it, that is why Martin and Co. who initially went to report could not come before this court with evidence that I have given any assignment to anybody or that I am working. I am not working and they never met me at the scene. Martin Kpebu does not even know me.
Q: I am putting it to you that, the proceeds you get from your business model is, within the illegal mining community, called ‘goodwill’ or ‘percentage’.
A: My lady, that is not true. Nobody will go to the Registrar General to register a company and follow-up and go in for thieves that they should go and work on the company that I have registered. For example, in 2025, Anglo Gold Ashanti killed about 20 people who were illegally working on their land. And no large-scale company will allow any other person to mine on their concession where their interest is gold. My lady, when you look at South Africa, illegal miners went on their concession and they Killed them, Australia same happened. No large-scale mining company will allow any other person to mine on their concession. As we speak now, there are illegal miners on A3’s concession. Also, last week NAIMOS claim they have arrested 275 illegal miners. All those that they have arrested, I am not part of them.
COUNSEL FOR REPUBLIC: We have no further questions for the witness.
END OF CROSS-EXAMINATION
BY COURT: Any re-examination?
COUNSEL FOR A1 AND A3: No re-examination.
BY COURT: The accused person is discharged.
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