A former Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has told the Accra High Court that Akonta Mining Limited acted as a whistleblower by reporting illegal mining activities on its concession to state authorities.
According to him, it was rather Akonta Mining that reported illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession to the Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC) during his tenure as Regional Minister and Chairman of REGSEC.
“It was rather Akonta Mining that reported illegal mining on the site,” Mr Darko-Mensah, who is testifying as a defence witness in the trial involving Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and Akonta Mining Limited told the court on Monday (June 1, 2026).
The witness also filed a supplementary witness statement together with a number of documents, including project briefs, minutes of meetings, a Daily Graphic newspaper publication and a World Bank project announcement.
Cross-examination
During cross-examination by the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the witness denied suggestions that he was in court to represent the Western Regional Coordinating Council, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) or the government under which he served.
Question: “Are you here on behalf of the Western Regional Coordinating Council to testify for the accused persons?
Answer: No.
Question: “Are you here on behalf of the New Patriotic Party government of which you were a minister to testify on behalf of accused persons?
Answer: No.
Q. Are you here on behalf of Takoradi Constituency which you’re an MP of to testify for the accused persons?
A. No.
Q. Do you have the authorisation or clearance from any of the following institutions to use any official information to testify in this court; the Western Regional Coordinating Council, the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), the New Patriotic Party, or the government of the Republic of Ghana?
A. No.
Mr Darko-Mensah explained that he was testifying as a Ghanaian citizen and based on his experience as a former Regional Minister.
“I’m testifying as a citizen of Ghana and my experience as government practitioner and also a former Western Regional Minister,” he said.
The former minister also told the court that illegal mining was one of the most serious security and environmental challenges confronting the Western Region during his tenure.
However, he admitted that he never personally witnessed Akonta Mining carrying out mining activities on the concession.
Mining lease
When questioned about the validity of Akonta Mining’s mining lease and a court decision involving Samartex Timber and Plywood Company Limited and Akonta Mining, Mr Darko-Mensah acknowledged the judgment but maintained that the court’s decision came after actions taken by REGSEC in 2021.
“As at the time that the lease was sent to me it was 2021 and the court had not come to that conclusion. This judgement is dated 19th May 2023,” he said.
He further said the decisions taken by him and REGSEC in 2021 could not be assessed using a judgment delivered two years later.
“The law doesn’t act retrospectively. If I made a decision in 2021 and the court ruled in 2023, it does not affect the decision I took in 2021 to go and flush out illegal miners on that site,” he said.
Good citizenship
The witness also rejected claims that he was more interested in protecting Akonta Mining than safeguarding the environment and national security.
He told the court that throughout his tenure he coordinated anti-galamsey operations involving several mining companies and civil society organisations.
“All over the Western Region, I have coordinated anti-galamsey activities including large-scale companies including AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Golden Star and a lot more,” he said.
He added that Akonta Mining deserved commendation for drawing the attention of the authorities to illegal mining activities.
“Any Ghanaian that reports illegal mining or the destruction of the environment should be considered a good citizen,” he said.
When asked whether he still stood by portions of his witness statement describing Akonta Mining as a good corporate citizen despite the court ruling on its mining lease, he answered in the affirmative.
“Akonta Mining for raising the alarm of illegal mining on the site had shown good citizenship,” he said.
“The basis is that any whistleblower is a good citizen.”
Witness statement
In his witness statement, Mr Darko-Mensah said Akonta Mining repeatedly drew the attention of state authorities to illegal mining activities on its concession at Samreboi.
The former Regional Minister stated that as Chairman of REGSEC, he treated reports of illegal mining as matters of national security because of their environmental, social and economic consequences.
According to him, interventions undertaken by REGSEC on the concession were based on reports received from Akonta Mining and other stakeholders regarding the activities of illegal miners.
He maintained that the company cooperated with state institutions in efforts to combat illegal mining and protect the environment.
The witness further said that security interventions undertaken on the concession were consistent with measures adopted across the Western Region to address illegal mining and were not unique to Akonta Mining.
