Chairman Wontumi files witness statement to open defence - Set to call former Dep. Lands Minister as defence witness
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Chairman Wontumi, has filed his witness statements in a bid to answer charges related to his Samreboi concession.
Chairman Wontumi and his company have been charged with six counts of permitting Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to mine on the company’s concession without obtaining prior approval from the sector minister, as well as facilitating unlicensed mining.
He was to open his defence after the court held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.
In court yesterday, his legal team, led by Andy Appiah-Kubi, informed the court that they had filed three witness statements.
The statements are from former Deputy Lands Minister, George Mireku Duker; Chairman Wontumi and one Wisdom Edem Gomashie.
Among the documents accompanying the witness statements are the lease agreement for Akonta Mining Company Ltd, a letter to the Regional Security Council, an investigative caution statement, among others.
He is expected to open his defence on May 14 by calling Gomashie to the witness box.
Background
Wontumi is on trial over 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).
The High Court, in March this year, held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the accused persons and ordered them to file their witness statements, if they were minded to do so, on or before April 14 this year.
The trial court dismissed an application challenging the submission of a no-case ruling.
They then proceeded to the Court of Appeal, challenging the High Court’s decision that ordered him to open his defence.
In addition to that, they filed a stay pending the appeal, but that was also dismissed.
