The Accra High Court has sentenced Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison for illegal mining activities.
The sentence was handed down on Monday, July 20, 2026, concluding a high-profile prosecution under the Minerals and Mining Act.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay found Mr. Antwi-Boasiako guilty on all six counts, including assigning mineral rights without approval and facilitating unlicensed operations on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
The court also imposed a fine of GH¢120,000, with a default sentence of three years to run concurrently with the custodial term.
His company, Akonta Mining Limited, was spared a custodial sentence but ordered to pay financial penalties after the court cited mitigating circumstances.
The prosecution stemmed from a police anti-galamsey operation in April 2025, which arrested 29 people and seized excavators, firearms, and cash at the site.
The court is yet to rule on a state request to forfeit those seized items.
