According to reports from GhanaWeb, Sammy Gyamfi, Acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), has declared that the time for accountability has arrived for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Gyamfi highlighted that the recent revocation of the mining license belonging to Wontumi’s company, Akonta Mining, underscores former President John Mahama’s dedication to curbing illegal mining activities across the country.
“The day of reckoning for Chairman Wontumi and his ilk has come. @JDMahama means business. Together with well-meaning Ghanaians, we shall win the fight against illegal mining and preserve our environment,” he stated.
This statement followed a directive from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, instructing the Minerals Commission to cancel Akonta Mining’s lease due to violations of mining regulations.
The Minister revealed that a coordinated effort by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission uncovered six sites where Akonta Mining was allegedly conducting unauthorized mining operations.
During a press conference held on April 21, 2025, Buah disclosed that some community members had shared concerns that the company was using aggressive methods, including forceful intrusion onto farmland and destruction of crops.
The operation, carried out on April 17 in Compartment 49, lasted 12 hours and led to the arrest of 51 individuals — including eight Chinese nationals and 43 Ghanaians — and the seizure of approximately 30 excavators.
Five of the machines were recovered and moved to the operation base.
Authorities also confiscated two pump-action rifles with ammunition, a single-barrel firearm, two Toyota Hilux pickups, one Toyota RAV4, four motorcycles, and a variety of mining tools.
All individuals apprehended have been transferred to Accra and remain in police custody as legal proceedings begin.