The Convenor of the Coalition Against Galamsey, Kenneth Ashigbey, has described the conviction and 20-year prison sentence handed to New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a significant milestone in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews after the High Court’s judgment, Mr Ashigbey said the ruling marked “a good day for Ghana” and for all individuals and organisations committed to ending the country’s illegal mining menace.
“This is a good day for Ghana. This is a good day for the media coalition against illegal mining and for everyone who wants to see the back of this existential threat confronting all of us as citizens,” he said.
Mr Ashigbey disclosed that the case was one of several petitions pursued by the Coalition Against Galamsey. According to him, the coalition petitioned the then Attorney General and the Inspector-General of Police, while he and two others also filed a separate petition and consistently followed the matter through the courts.
He commended the current Minister for Lands and Natural Resources for pursuing investigations into the petition and forwarding the findings for action. He also praised the Attorney General for prosecuting the case to its conclusion and lauded the trial judge for what he described as demonstrating courage in delivering the judgment.
The convenor further acknowledged the role played by former Lands and Natural Resources Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, whom he credited as the first public official to state that Akonta Mining was involved in illegal activities within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve. He also recognised the former Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, for confirming the allegations at the time.
Mr Ashigbey, however, said previous authorities failed to prosecute the matter despite the evidence available, adding that persistent advocacy by civil society and the media helped ensure the case was eventually pursued.
He stressed that the conviction should represent only the beginning of broader efforts to hold politically exposed persons accountable for illegal mining.
Referring to comments made by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2024 election campaign, Mr Ashigbey said the fight against illegal mining would remain incomplete unless influential individuals implicated in the practice were investigated and prosecuted.
He questioned the status of investigations into other politically exposed persons named in previous reports on illegal mining, including individuals identified in the Prof. Frimpong-Boateng report, and called on authorities to provide updates on those cases.
According to him, illegal mining involves not only politicians but also some metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, traditional leaders and other influential figures who facilitate or benefit from the activity.
“This is just the beginning. If we are really going to deal with galamsey decisively, then we need to make sure that all the big men who are parading the corridors of power and fronting their interests are also prosecuted,” he said.
Commenting on the sentence imposed on Chairman Wontumi, Mr Ashigbey said he would have preferred the court to impose the maximum custodial sentence of 25 years together with the maximum financial penalty permitted under the law.
He argued that illegal mining has devastating environmental, economic and public health consequences, including pollution of water bodies, destruction of farmlands, increased flooding, kidney-related illnesses, birth defects and losses in agricultural productivity.
Describing perpetrators of illegal mining as “economic saboteurs,” he maintained that severe punishment was necessary to deter others and demonstrate the seriousness of the offence.
