The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has announced that investigations into Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, have been concluded by both the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House on Monday, July 28, 2025, Dr. Ayine confirmed that the CID and EOCO had finalized their investigations involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party and that charges had been drafted and submitted for internal review before the cases proceed to court.
According to him, EOCO has completed its inquiries into both Chairman Wontumi and former Buffer Stock Company CEO, Abdul Wahab Hanan, along with their alleged accomplices. He assured the public that the findings of these investigations will be made public soon.
“The CID has also submitted the docket on Akonta Mining to my office,” Dr. Ayine added. “We have prepared the necessary charges and returned them to the CID so the suspects can be formally charged and brought before court shortly.”
Chairman Wontumi is being investigated over serious allegations that his company, Akonta Mining Limited, carried out mining activities without the required permits, contaminated water bodies, and encroached upon protected forest reserves.
He was previously arrested by EOCO and granted bail of GH¢50 million. Though EOCO did not officially disclose the basis for the arrest, Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem Sai noted that Wontumi faces multiple criminal allegations, including fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
Dr. Sai further revealed in a May 29, 2025, social media post that Wontumi is also a subject of a wider probe linked to international organized crime. EOCO is reportedly working with foreign investigative agencies to unravel the broader network involved in the case.
