Piles of pictures, videos, and official statements from the Lands Ministry and the Minerals Commission have been admitted in evidence by the High Court in Accra in the ongoing trial of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi over his alleged illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
The evidential materials also includes a television report showing a verbal and physical confrontation between the youth, chiefs of Samreboi, media and officials from the Minerals Commission on one hand, and officials of Akonta Mining on the other, over the alleged illegal mining activities at the Tano Nimiri Forest.
The lead investigator Chief Inspector Eugene Akpo Glover in the ongoing trial, as part of his evidence-in-chief as the 2nd Prosecution Witness, tendered in evidence the TV report after it was played in open court while he was being led by the Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai.
Also, photographs indicating dates and time, and a pen-drive showing geolocation of Tano Nimire Forest, have all been tendered and admitted in evidence by the court as part of the prosecution’s leading of evidence to prove their charges.
Chairman Wontumi, Akonta Mining, Kwame Antwi, and Owusu Bempah have been charged together with undertaking illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region.
Akonta Mining, as a company, is also facing charges of felling trees in a Forest Reserve without written authority from the competent forest authority and erecting buildings in a Forest Reserve without written authority from the competent forest authority, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Forest Protection Act, 1974 (NRCD 243), as amended by Section 1 of the Forest Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Act 624).
Chairman Wontumi is personally facing two separate counts of abetting the unauthorised felling of trees in a Forest Reserve, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Forest Protection Act, 1974 (NRCD 243), as amended by Section 1 of the Forest Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Act 624), and Section 20(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
They have pleaded not guilty and have been granted bail while the trial is ongoing with prosecution calling witnesses.
Evidence-in-Chief
On Friday May 29, 2026, while being led by the Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, to give further evidence as the investigator who led the investigations, he walked the court through what his team uncovered.
He said, he uncovered that on August 17, 2022, a team of officials from the Forestry Commission, some chiefs of Samreboi, media personnel, and staff of Samartex proceeded to the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve to ascertain whether Akonta Mining (A1) had indeed entered Compartment 161 of the Forest Reserve to undertake mining activities.
He told the court that on their way, the team passed through four (4) checkpoints illegally mounted in the forest, each with a kiosk bearing A1’s (Akonta Mining’s) logo.
He added that the officials found massive destruction in certain portions of the forest reserve, alongside mining equipment bearing A1’s (Akonta Mining) logos.
He tendered in evidence pictures of the mining equipment bearing the mark of A1 (Akonta Mining) found in the forest reserve.
Attacks, confrontations
The investigator also told the court that when the workers of A1 (Akonta Mining) sighted the team, “they fled the scene, whereupon the Forestry Commission officials seized some of their logistics.”
Chief Inspector Glover said on their way out of the forest reserve, the team was accosted by some men armed with assault rifles, shotguns, and machetes, who were aboard vehicles branded with A1’s (Akonta Mining’s) logos.
The investigator said the armed men held the team hostage for several hours and insisted that all the seized items be returned to them.
The armed men, he said, were led by Edward Akuoko, and “managed to retrieve the said equipment from the team,” and he tendered in evidence a video (a TV report) of the said confrontation in the forest reserve.
Official Statements
The investigator also told the court that after the incident, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources issued a statement which instructed the Forestry Commission to halt A1’s (Akonta Mining’s) activities in the forest reserve.
He said the Minister indicated that A1 (Akonta Mining) did not have any authorization to undertake mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
The investigator said, per the statement from the Ministry, “A1 had applied for a mining lease in the forest reserve, which had not been determined.”
He tendered in evidence the said press release dated September 30, 2022.
He also tendered in evidence a press statement issued by the Minerals Commission, the mining industry regulator, on October 3, 2022, in response to circulating news of a purported lease granted to A1.
The statement, he said, “conclusively confirmed that A1 (Akonta Mining), through which A2 (Wontumi), A3 (Kwame Antwi), and A5 (Owusu Bempah) conducted mining operations, has no mining lease, mineral rights, or permit to undertake mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.”
Additionally, the court also admitted in evidence the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department’s investigative report dated March 20, 2023, to the Inspector-General of Police.
The investigator said that after the investigations were concluded, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department issued an investigative report on March 20, 2023, to the Inspector-General of Police.
He also said that in the course of his investigation, he obtained an investigation caution statement and further statements from A2 (Wontumi) dated October 7, 2022, June 7, 2023, and July 1, 2025.
All the statements were admitted in evidence by the court without any objection from the defence lawyers.
An investigation caution statement from Edward Akuoko (the prosecution’s first witness), obtained on June 23, 2025, was also in evidence.
Charge statements obtained from Wontumi and Akuoko on October 6, 2025, were also admitted in evidence.
Following the conclusion of the investigator’s evidence-in-chief, lawyers for the accused, led by Andy Appiah-Kubi, have sealed his mouth.
The court, presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey, has adjourned the case to May 8, 2026, for further cross-examination.
Source:www.kumasimail.com
