Prominent New Patriotic Party figure Wontumi sentenced to 20 years in prison for illegal mining in Ghana
Key Points
- NPP's Ashanti Regional Chairman Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years in prison for illegal mining crimes.
- The court set the total sentence duration at 20 years because it ordered the two separate sentences to be served concurrently.
- He was held personally responsible by lifting the veil of incorporation of the company due to Chairman Wontumi's effective control over it.
- Akonta Mining Limited was also fined for the crimes of illegal transfer of mining rights and facilitating operations.
By the Numbers
The High Court located in Accra, the capital of Ghana, sentenced Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), also known to the public as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison for illegal mining crimes. While convicting for crimes linked to Akonta Mining Limited, the court ruled that the penalty was necessary because he should be held personally responsible for the company's illegal activities.
The court, presided over by Judge Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, rejected the defense's request to postpone the decision and refer constitutional issues to the High Court. It was determined that Akonta Mining transferred its mining rights without the approval of the relevant minister and that Wontumi allowed a person named Henry Okum to engage in unauthorized mining.
The court also convicted Akonta Mining Limited on two separate charges. Wontumi was fined 10,000 penalty units for each charge, while the company was fined 15,000 penalty units. The penalty was imposed under the tougher sanctions introduced against illegal mining through a 2020 amendment to the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What exact charges was Chairman Wontumi convicted of?
- He was convicted of transferring mining rights to another party without the relevant minister's approval and facilitating illegal mining activities.
- What sanction was applied to Akonta Mining Limited?
- The company was also found guilty and fined a total of 15,000 penalty units for each charge.
- Why was Wontumi held personally responsible?
- On the grounds that Wontumi had effective control over the company's operations, the court lifted the corporate veil and held him directly responsible as the perpetrator of the crimes.
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Read the full story at the sourcegbcghanaonline.comHow we produce our content →This story across sources · 2
- Connectghananews·
- Ghana Guardian·