Accra: The High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, has set Friday, July 3, 2026, for the delivery of judgment in the Samreboi case involving the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others. This follows the closure of the case after the completion of the cross-examination of both the witnesses of the prosecution and the accused persons.
According to Ghana Web, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman is accused of facilitating illegal mining in the Tano Nimiri or Tano Nimri Forest in Samreboi in the Western Region. He faces six charges, including two counts of undertaking mining operations without a licence, one count of felling trees in a forest reserve without a licence, one count of abetting unauthorised felling of trees, one count of erecting buildings in a forest reserve without a licence, and one count of abetting unauthorised erection of buildings.
For undertaking mining operations without a licence, Wontumi could face a jail term of not less than 15 years and not more than 25 years. For felling trees in a forest reserve without a licence, he faces a prison term of not more than two years, along with a requirement to pay twice the commercial value of each tree or the timber or forest produce involved.
Additionally, for abetting the unauthorised felling of trees, he could face a similar prison term and financial penalty. The same punishment applies to the charges of erecting buildings in a forest reserve without a licence and abetting the unauthorised erection of buildings.
If convicted on all charges and given the maximum sanctions by the court, Chairman Wontumi is likely to serve a prison term of 25 years, as the jail time for the crimes would be served concurrently.