Paul Yandoh reacts to Chairman Wontumi's 20-year sentence for illegal mining
via GhanaWeb5 min read
Paul Yandoh, the Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party NPP, was seen in a somber mood following the 20-year prison sentence handed to Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the party's Regional Chairman. A video shared on social media on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, by Askghmedia, showed Yandoh repeatedly shaking his head in disbelief over the court's decision. Chairman Wontumi was sentenced by the Accra High Court on July 20, 2026, after being found guilty of illegal mining-related offenses connected to his Samreboi mining operations in the Western Region. The court also imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000, with a default sentence of three years’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid. The custodial sentence and the default term attached to the fine will run concurrently. Justice Kocuvie-Tay found Wontumi guilty on six counts, including assigning mineral rights without approval and deliberately facilitating an unlicensed mining operation. The NPP has announced its intention to appeal the High Court’s decision.
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Must ReadAndy Appiah-Kubi, former counsel for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, plans to appeal his former client's 20-year prison sentence. Appiah-Kubi stated that Chairman Wontumi instructed him to file an appeal if he was sentenced, a conversation that occurred just minutes before the court delivered its judgment. Chairman Wontumi was found guilty on six counts by the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court on Monday, July 20, 2026. Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay ordered the prison terms to run concurrently and fined Wontumi 10,000 penalty units on each count. Akonta Mining Limited, also convicted on two counts, received a fine of 15,000 penalty units per count. The convictions were under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 Act 703, as amended by the Minerals and Mining Amendment Act, 2020 Act 995, which imposes stricter penalties for illegal mining offenses. Chairman Wontumi, Akonta Mining Limited, and Kwame Antwi were prosecuted for alleged illegal mining activities on the company's concession at Samreboi in the Western Region, including unlawfully assigning mineral rights and facilitating mining without authorization.
Must ReadTwo young Ghanaian women, aged 22 and 23, who traveled to Jordan in June 2026 for employment, are appealing to the Ghanaian government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for urgent help to return home. They report living under harsh conditions, without work, adequate food, or decent accommodation. They claim their movements are monitored and their passports have been seized. When they expressed a desire to return to Ghana, they were informed they needed to pay $1,920 for their departure. The women also stated that Ghana does not have an embassy in Jordan. They are calling on authorities and the public to intervene to facilitate their safe return to Ghana.
Must ReadJustin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party NPP, has characterized the 20-year sentence of the party's Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, as "political imprisonment." This statement followed the July 20, 2026, judgment by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay of the Accra High Court, which convicted Chairman Wontumi on all six charges. The NPP leadership held an emergency meeting to discuss the ruling, where Kodua urged members to support the party. He stated, "Indeed, we consider the decision of the court as amounting to political imprisonment. Chairman Wontumi is a political prisoner." The sentencing has generated significant discussion, and the party's legal team plans to appeal the judgment.