Accra, May 22, GNA – Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, has told an Accra High Court that the Akonta Mining Company Limited never operated or mined on its concession at Samreboi.
Opening his defence on Thursday in the Samreboi illegal mining case, Wontumi said the company had also not filed returns at the Registrar of Companies because it had never commenced operations.
“If Akonta Mining Company Limited is not working, how can I file my returns?” he asked during cross-examination by Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney General.
Chairman Wontumi said he did not know it was an offence under the law for a company to fail to file returns, whether operational or not.
He maintained that he was never present at the concession site and had never authorised anyone to engage in mining activities there.
Chairman Wontumi said the guns, ammunition, gold and vehicles confiscated by the State did not belong to him.
He also denied allegations that Akonta Mining Company Limited had granted Henry Okum, the second prosecution witness, rights to mine on the Samreboi concession.
He explained that Mr Okum had only been contracted to provide mining support services through land reclamation activities and to undertake a coconut plantation project on the concession, with profits to be shared after maturity.
Wontumi stated that if Mr Okum engaged in any activity other than the coconut plantation project, he was unaware of it.
He further denied providing Mr Okum with heavy-duty equipment, vehicles or money to undertake illegal mining operations.
Chairman Wontumi said the company could not begin mining because it had not received parliamentary ratification.
He noted that the main objective of the company was to mine gold, but argued that no serious large-scale mining company would spend millions securing concession rights only to hand them over to small-scale miners.
Wontumi cited instances where alleged illegal miners attempting to operate on concessions belonging to AngloGold Ashanti had been stopped.
He also referenced practices in countries such as South Africa and Australia regarding illegal mining activities.
The court heard that Akonta Mining Company Limited had written to the Western Regional Security Council and the Criminal Investigations Department over alleged illegal mining activities on its concession.
“As I speak today, illegal mining activities are still going on on my concession,” he told the court.
Wontumi became emotional during cross-examination as he denied claims that his business model involved securing concession rights and assigning them to small-scale miners in exchange for gold.
When questioned about the whereabouts of Kwame Antwi, one of the company’s directors described by the prosecution as being at large, Wontumi said he did not know where he was.
He explained that Antwi informed him in 2021 that he would be travelling, and he had since lost track of his whereabouts.
On the alleged litigation involving Akonta Mining Company Limited and Samartex Timber and Plywood, Chairman Wontumi said the dispute concerned the location of proposed buildings on the concession.
He said the court eventually ruled that neither company had parliamentary ratification to commence operations on the concession.
The case has been adjourned to May 28, 2026, for the filing of defence witness statements for two additional witnesses.
The trial judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, stated that if the witness statements were not filed by the next adjourned date, the court would assume the defence had closed its case.
The court indicated that parties would subsequently file their addresses before a date for judgment is set.
Earlier, Wontumi relied on documents filed on May 5 and 6, 2026, as his evidence-in-chief, which were admitted into evidence.
He also tendered the registered lease agreement, letters written by Akonta Mining Company Limited to the Western Regional Security Council, investigation caution statements and statements made to police by other individuals.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Joyce Danso
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