The High Court in Accra has heard a strong defence from Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, who is pushing back against allegations that he facilitated illegal mining activities on a concession owned by Akonta Mining.
Wontumi, who is standing trial alongside Akonta Mining over charges including the alleged unlawful assignment of mineral rights without ministerial approval, told the court that his arrangement with prosecution witness Henry Okum (PW2) was strictly for environmental reclamation and agricultural development.
Testifying on Thursday, May 21, he insisted that PW2 was never authorised to mine on the concession, but was instead engaged to reclaim degraded land through coconut tree planting.
“I didn’t give him permission to mine,” Wontumi told the court, maintaining that the agreement was focused on restoring damaged land rather than extracting minerals.
According to him, PW2’s role was to rehabilitate mined-out areas by planting coconut trees, with the understanding that both parties would later share proceeds when the trees matured.
“He came to reclaim the land and plant coconut trees so that when the coconuts mature, we would share,” he said.
Wontumi further rejected prosecution claims that he facilitated access to excavators or other heavy equipment used for mining operations, insisting he had no involvement in such activities.
He maintained that PW2 introduced himself as a “service support miner” and not as someone intending to engage in illegal mining, adding that he did not supervise or monitor any mining activity on the concession after granting access.
Under cross-examination by Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai, Wontumi admitted allowing PW2 onto the concession but maintained that this was strictly for reclamation purposes.
The prosecution, however, argued that the arrangement effectively enabled mining activities, alleging that Wontumi knowingly allowed extraction operations to take place while distancing himself from the site.
State prosecutors further suggested that Wontumi’s business model involved granting access to concessions in exchange for a share of proceeds, a claim he firmly denied, describing it as “a blatant falsehood.”
Central to the prosecution’s case is testimony from PW2, Henry Okum, who previously told the court that he was allowed to mine parts of the concession and use proceeds from extraction to finance reclamation activities.
The presiding judge, Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, earlier ruled that there was sufficient prima facie evidence requiring Wontumi to open his defence, referencing both PW2’s testimony and Wontumi’s own caution statement to police.
During proceedings, Wontumi admitted there was no written agreement between him and PW2, saying the arrangement was based on verbal instructions to reclaim land and plant coconut trees, with profits to be shared after maturity.
He also acknowledged that he had not physically visited the concession since granting access, though he claimed to have received video updates showing reclamation efforts and the planting of about 18,000 coconut trees.
The case continues as the court weighs competing narratives over whether the concession was used for environmental reclamation or unlawful mining activities.
