Galamsey: Chairman Wontumi to Report to Police CID Today

Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is expected to report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service today, Monday, October 6, 2025.

This comes after Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, warned last Friday that Mr. Boasiako would be arrested if he failed to appear before investigators, as formal charges against him have already been signed.

The case revolves around Akonta Mining Limited, a company linked to the NPP chairman, which is under investigation for alleged illegal mining (“galamsey”) activities. According to Dr. Ayine, progress on the case had been stalled because some crucial dockets were concealed under the previous administration.

Confirming his client’s appearance, Chairman Wontumi’s lawyer, Andy Appiah Kubi, told Citi News on Sunday that his client would be at the CID headquarters in Accra at 10 a.m. to honour the invitation.

He, however, criticised the Attorney General’s caution, insisting it was unnecessary since his client has consistently cooperated with investigators.

“We have been asked to appear at the Police CID in Accra, and we are ready for it. We will be there at 10 a.m. This announcement by the Attorney General surprises me. We respect the invitation and will honour it, but I think the warning that followed was unnecessary. We are in no way going to disrespect the invitation,” he said.

The development has heightened public interest, as the case touches on the government’s ongoing fight against illegal mining, which has been at the centre of political and environmental debates in Ghana.