Environmental Advocates Welcome Wontumi Conviction as Victory for Nature Protection
Environmental advocates have described the 20-year prison sentence handed to Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a major step in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
The Accra High Court on Monday sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years imprisonment with hard labour after finding him guilty of assigning mining rights without approval and facilitating illegal mining activities at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The court also imposed fines on Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, which was also found guilty on two counts related to illegal mining operations.
Reacting to the ruling, the Convener of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (GCAG), Kenneth Ashigbey, and Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bossu, said the conviction sends a strong message that persons involved in environmental destruction will be held accountable.
They praised the Attorney-General and the presiding judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, for their roles in the case, describing the judgment as a positive development for environmental protection efforts.
Mr Ashigbey said the conviction should serve as a warning to all individuals involved in illegal mining, adding that the fight against galamsey must continue regardless of political affiliation.
He noted that the ruling fulfills the need for stronger action against influential persons linked to environmental degradation and called for similar standards to be applied in other galamsey-related cases.
Mr Bossu of A Rocha Ghana also said the sentence reflects the provisions of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019, and demonstrates the government’s commitment to enforcing mining laws.
He urged authorities not to reduce the standard set by the case, stressing that consistent enforcement of the law is necessary to protect Ghana’s environment and restore degraded lands.
Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited were convicted after being charged with assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and facilitating unlicensed mining operations.
