Accra: Former Western Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has provided evidence in support of Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, in the ongoing illegal mining case concerning Akonta Mining Limited. Darko-Mensah, who led the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) during his tenure, appeared before the Accra High Court on May 28, 2026, to present a video recording of the Samreboi concession associated with the mining company. The video, stored on a pen drive, was recorded during a site inspection conducted while he was serving as REGSEC Chairman.
According to Ghana Web, the court accepted the video as evidence after dismissing the prosecution's objections regarding its authenticity. Andy Appiah-Kubi, the counsel for the accused, stated that the defence planned to call Darko-Mensah as its subsequent witness. He also mentioned that two witness statements had been submitted on May 25 and May 28, 2026, and requested the court to conduct a Case Management Conference (CMC) regarding them.
Chairman Wontumi and his company are facing six charges for allegedly allowing Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to undertake mining operations on the Akonta Mining concession without prior authorization from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
During the court session on Thursday, Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Prempeh expressed concerns that the prosecution had not been adequately served with all witness statements. She remarked that despite following up earlier in the morning, only one statement was provided in court. She also highlighted that one of the statements belonged to a witness named Evans Adai, who had not been previously listed.
The court proceeded with the Case Management Conference on Mr. Darko-Mensah's witness statement, filed on May 25, 2026. The defence requested the admission of both the witness statement and the pen drive containing the video footage. The prosecution opposed the admission of the pen drive, citing a lack of a timestamp. In response, Appiah-Kubi argued that the video's relevance had been addressed in paragraph 39 of the witness statement.
The court dismissed the prosecution's objection, deciding that the concerns raised could be tackled during cross-examination. 'Having listened to both counsel, it is the considered view of this court that the concerns raised by counsel for the Republic can be addressed through cross-examination,' the court ruled. The case is scheduled to continue on June 1, 2026, at 2 pm.
Background
The Akonta Mining case involving Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, originates from allegations of illegal mining activities and regulatory violations linked to Akonta Mining Limited. Chairman Wontumi, serving as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has faced public scrutiny due to accusations that Akonta Mining operated in forest reserves and participated in illegal small-scale mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey.
In 2022, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources announced the revocation of Akonta Mining's lease in parts of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western North Region, following investigations that reportedly uncovered unauthorized mining operations. Government officials accused the company of violating mining regulations and operating outside approved concessions. The Ministry further alleged that individuals connected to the company were involved in illegal mining activities that degraded forest lands and polluted water bodies.