Ghana's Opposition Chairman Wontumi Sentenced to 20 Years for Illegal Mining

On 20 July 2026 the Accra High Court sentenced Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi and Ashanti Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after finding him guilty on six counts of facilitating illegal gold mining (galamsey) at the Samreboi concession of his company Akonta Mining. The court held that he illegally assigned mineral rights and allowed unlicensed extraction, issuing one of the harshest penalties ever imposed for a galamsey case in Ghana.

NPP officials reacted strongly. MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah said the verdict “devastated” the party’s base and questioned the evidence, describing the judgment as based on “assumptions rather than proof”. General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong called the conviction “selective justice” and announced an appeal, alleging that the government prosecutes opposition members while similar allegations against NDC figures remain uninvestigated. The party pledged to pursue all legal avenues.

The sentencing also sparked public debate. Comedian DKB circulated an old 2023 video of former President Nana Addo Akufo‑Addo defending Akonta Mining, highlighting the contrast with the court’s ruling. The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey urged the government to move beyond press briefings and enforce stricter anti‑galamsey measures, noting that illegal mining continues to damage forests, rivers and farmland despite official assurances.