Chairman Wontumi's Dramatic Fall from Power: Questioned by Police over Akonta Mining Allegations

Strategic Insights -

Formerly the boisterous Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has seen his power wane as he was questioned by the police on May 26, 2025, following a dramatic and failed attempt by security forces to arrest him the previous Friday, May 23, 2025, in Kumasi.

Key Takeaways:

  • Chairman Wontumi was questioned by the police over allegations of illegal mining activities linked to Akonta Mining Company Limited, a firm owned by him, which allegedly operated in restricted areas.
  • The operation was allegedly carried out by National Security operatives and police officers, who arrived unannounced at Wontumi's residence in Kumasi, triggering chaos as supporters rushed to block the arrest.
  • Wontumi denied all allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that Akonta Mining had abided by the law since the suspension directive.
  • He was accompanied by his legal counsel, former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame and the former Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, who dismissed the attempt to arrest Wontumi as 'politically motivated and legally unsound'.
  • Wontumi claimed that the government's actions were an abuse of power and accused President Mahama of deliberately collapsing his businesses and freezing his bank accounts.
  • Akonta Mining had previously been accused of engaging in illegal mining within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, located in the Western Region, and was ordered to cease operations by the then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, in 2022.
  • The current Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, directed the immediate revocation of all mining licenses held by Akonta Mining Company Limited following serious allegations of illegal mining activities.

Statistics:

  • The payment of GHS50 million by the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) to Hallmark Civil Engineering, a company reportedly owned by Wontumi, is alleged to be a part of the controversy surrounding Akonta Mining.
  • Two sureties were required for Chairman Wontumi's bail.
  • The license provided by Wontumi to prove his authorized mining activity is mentioned.

Sources:

  • The Chronicle
  • [These sources are not explicitly mentioned in the source material, but they are likely referring to a specific news report by a local Accra-based TV station, which is implied to be ChannelOne TV]