An Accra High Court has admitted several pieces of evidence in the ongoing illegal mining case involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, and his company, Akonta Mining Company Limited.
The exhibits include two official press statements, a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) report, photographs from an alleged crime scene, and a video recording said to capture activities linked to the case.
Detective Chief Inspector Eugene Akpo Glover, the lead investigator and third prosecution witness, presented the documents in court during proceedings led by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai.
He told the court that one press statement was issued by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to the Forestry Commission on September 30, 2022, while another was released by the Minerals Commission on October 3, 2022.
The investigator also tendered a CID report addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, completed on March 20, 2023, and testified that he had taken both caution and charge statements from Boasiako during the investigation.
In addition, a video stored on a pen drive—allegedly recorded by UTV—was submitted as evidence, purportedly showing activities at the disputed site.
The court earlier overruled a defence objection to photographs presented by the prosecution, ruling that they were relevant and properly authenticated.
Boasiako and Akonta Mining Company Limited are accused of undertaking illegal mining activities, including felling 300 merchantable trees in the Nnimiri Forest Reserve and constructing structures without Forestry Commission approval.
The accused, who has denied all charges, remains on bail as the trial continues. The investigator is expected to face cross-examination on June 8, 2026.
