The Criminal High Court four (4) in Accra, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, has directed the Ashanti Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Wontumi, to file the list of his witnesses should he be called upon to mount a defence.
The order follows the filling of the full complement of disclosures and witness statements of the witnesses the Attorney General intends to rely on for the trial of Wontumi, who is accused of facilitating others to mine on his Akonta Mining Company Limited’s concession without legal authority.
Priscilla Lartey, a State C, told the court yesterday that the prosecution has filed all the documents it intends to rely on at trial, and the accused persons have been served with them.
The court was expected to conduct a case management conference ahead of the commencement of the trial, but the case had to be adjourned after Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for Wontumi and his company, indicated the need for further disclosures.
He pointed out that the prosecution had indicated on November 11, 2025, that it would file further disclosures in the matter, contrary to the state attorney’s new position that it had nothing further to disclose.
In that regard, he informed the court of his intention to file an application requesting the Attorney General to make those further disclosures, as he believes they will assist the defence in presenting their case.
“It is our prayer that since the documents we intend to rely on are not part of the disclosures, we intend to file a motion seeking your orders on the prosecution for such disclosures to be made. We have prepared it, but we haven’t filed it. We pray for a short time within which to come before you,” Mr Appiah-Kubi told the court.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay’s court granted the request and ordered the defence to file by Monday, December 1, 2025, while giving the prosecution until December 5, 2025, to file a response.
She further ordered Wontumi to file the names and addresses of all witnesses they will call at the trial if called upon to do so, upon prosecution having opened a prima facie case against the accused persons. The case was adjourned to December 8, 2025.
Wontumi is on trial on allegations that he permitted other individuals to undertake mining on his Akonta Mining concession at Samreboi in the Western Region without a written approval from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
He has been charged with one count of assignment of mineral rights without approval, and another count of purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
His company, Akonta Mining, and another person, Kwame Antwi, who is on the run, have been charged with the same offences.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted bail of GH₵15 million by the court.
The prosecution’s brief of facts indicates that the police arrested Michael Ayisi Gyasi, a 50-year-old, and 28 others within Akonta Mining’s concession in Samreboi on April 17, 2025, following an operation.
During the arrest, the police retrieved several items, including eight (8) pump-action guns, one (1) single-barreled gun, five (5) pieces of metal suspected to be gold concealed in a sachet, four (4) machetes, several water pumping machines, 310 AAA/BB cartridges, and one (1) grease gun.
Others include four (4) motorcycles, two (2) vehicles, 25 serviceable excavators, four (4) non-serviceable excavators, and GH₵157,000 cash.
