The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wuntumi has been granted a GH¢1 million bail with two sureties by the police.
His mining firm, Akonta Mining is set to be prosecuted beginning Tuesday October 7.
It follows his appearance before investigators with his lawyer and former Member of Parliament (MP), Andy Appiah-Kubi.
Speaking to the media after the engagement, Chairman Wontumi commended both the police and the Attorney General’s Office for their professionalism.
“I want to congratulate the police system for showing professionalism. We also want to thank the Attorney General for facilitating the entire process”, he said.
He confirmed that the charge against him involves “mining without a license”, adding that the matter would be fully addressed in court.
“As you have seen, we will go to court, and that is where the decision will be taken. We are not to maintain innocence, but we are allowed to proceed and then present our defence”, the embattled regional chairman noted;
This was after his appearance at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Police Headquarters, in Accra, over his alleged involvement in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).
This follows a declaration by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, ordering him to report himself in Accra on Monday October 6 for his charges to be read to him or risks being arrested.
The AG gave the order during a Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) engagement with President John Dramani Mahama last Friday October 3 at the presidency.
Answering a question at the meeting which was on illegal mining Dr Ayine said, “The charges against Wontumi and Akonta Mining have been signed. He should be here on Monday. If he doesn’t come by Monday, I will order his arrest, and his charges will be read to him.”
Earlier, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, announced that investigations into the operations of Akonta Mining, owned by Chairman Wontumi, were ongoing.
The CID boss said one other person had also been arrested in connection with the matter.
Asked about the current state of affairs regarding the investigation into the activities of Akonta Mining during a press conference in Accra on Monday, June 30, she said: “That case is also actively ongoing. Chairman Wontumi has visited us a couple of times; he was actually supposed to be coming back to us sometime this week. Unfortunately, he was ill, and his lawyer submitted a letter to us explaining that he was unwell.
“I believe he is now okay because we have communicated to them that he should be seeing us this week, and they have responded. So the investigations are actively ongoing.”
“I must mention that he is not the only one we have arrested or are investigating; there are a number of people we consider persons of interest. Last week, for instance, he had a partner, one Akuoko, who was part of the investigations on Akonta Mining; he was also arrested here and detained.
Investigations against Chairman Wontumi and his Akonta Mining has been long in coming. A group of concerned Ghanaians led by lawyer Martin Kpebu first petitioned the CID under the former DG Faustina Andoh Kwofie during the previous administration.
They had used statement and evidences provided by the then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, who accused his fellow party leader of entering the Tano Nimiri Forest in the Western Region without permission.
Despite the glaring evidence, the police refused to prosecute Wontumi from 2022. The recent development, according to the AG, sets the tone for prosecution to start.
This is just one the many charges leveled against the NPP stalwart as he currently has a case with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) where he is facing accusation of money laundering, fraud, causing financial loss to the state and others.
By Gifty Boateng