Prominent environmentalists spearheading the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (GCAG) have described the 20-year custodial sentence hande down tothe Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, over illegal mining activities as a key milestone in winning the fight against the canker.
The Accra High Court yesterday sentenced Mr Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years with hard labour on two charges of assigning mining rights without authorisation and facilitating unlawful mining operations at Samreboi in the Western Region.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who delivered the judgement, also fined Chairman Wontumi 10,000 penalty units for each of the two counts for which he was found guilty, while his company, Akonta Mining Limited, was also found guilty on two counts and fined 15,000 penalty units for each count.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic separately after the ruling, the Convener of the GCAG, Kenneth Ashigbey, and the Deputy National Director of environmental watchdog outfit, A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bossu, said the judgment was a strong signal that the government was ready to deal with the so-called kingpins behind the menace.
While hailing the judgment as a major victory for environmental protection, they stressed that it must become the standard for dealing with all other perpetrators of galamsey.
They unanimously commended the Attorney-General and the presiding judge, adding that the standard that had been set should mark the beginning of a cleaning process of the galamsey stable.
Strong signal
Mr Ashigbey stressed that the conviction of Chairman Wontumi must be a warning signal to all actors in the environmental degradation space other than a mere catch of a political activist.
“The judgment by the Court is refreshing to all lovers of the environment because this is what we have been fighting at the peril of our lives all these years. We presented a number of petitions to the former President about Akonta Mining and its involvement in galamsey, but nothing was done.
“We are happy that the current Minister of Lands and Natural Resources followed up on our petitions and other evidence for the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to take up the case,” he said.
The GCAG convener said the conviction was a fulfilment of the promise President John Mahama made to Ghanaians that he would ensure that all galamsey kingpins were smoked out and prosecuted.
He applauded the Judge for demonstrating courage in handling the matter despite its complex nature, stressing that, “the judgment is a demonstration that justice has been done.”
“It is a good start, but we will go after all other persons who have been linked to galamsey, irrespective of their political colours.
“Some politically exposed persons have been cited for galamsey activities, and we expect that the same standard that has been set in this case will be used for them,” he added.
Touching on the 20-year sentence handed down to Chairman Wontumi, he said the maximum sentence should have been given to him to serve as a deterrent to all persons linked to the menace.
“Galamsey is mass murder, so maximum sentences should be given to offenders so that others will take a cue from it,” he stressed.
For his part, Mr Bossu said the sentence handed down to Chairman Wontumi aligned with the provisions of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), “and we as environmentalists are satisfied with it.”
The A Rocha Ghana deputy director said the sentence was a firm demonstration that the Executive and the Judiciary would not countenance any illegal mining activities or persons engaged in it.
“If what happened to Chairman Wontumi is going to be the standard, it means that the government is ready to deal with the kingpins in galamsey; and we all need to support that process,” he said.
Mr Bossu added that the standard that had been set must not be lowered in other cases since that would amount to selective justice.
He stressed that given the destructive nature of galamsey, the government must not relent in applying the mining laws to sanitise the sector.
Court documents show that Mr Antwi Bosiako and Akonta Mining Limited were arraigned on October 6, 2025, on two counts of assignment of mineral rights without ministerial approval, contrary to sections 14(1) and 99(2)(b) of Act 703.
They were also charged with purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation.
The trial concluded on June 24, 2026, with the Republic filing its Written Address. The accused persons filed theirs on July 13, with the court fixing July 20 for judgment.
