**Ghanaian Politician Sentenced to 20 Years for Illegal Mining Activities**
A Ghanaian court has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a prominent businessman and senior opposition politician, known as Chairman Wontumi. The Accra High Court delivered its verdict on Monday, convicting Boasiako, who serves as the Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), along with his company, Akonta Mining Limited, for breaching national mining laws.
The court found Boasiako guilty of assigning mineral rights without the necessary ministerial approval and facilitating unlicensed gold mining operations at Samreboi, located in western Ghana. The evidence presented during the trial indicated that Boasiako allowed two individuals, Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi, to conduct gold mining activities on his company's concession without the required authorization from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
In addition to the prison sentence, Boasiako was fined 120,000 Ghanaian cedis (approximately $11,000), while Akonta Mining was penalized with a fine of 180,000 cedis. Throughout the trial, Boasiako maintained his innocence, asserting that one of the miners had only been authorized to rehabilitate degraded land by planting coconut trees. However, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay dismissed his defense, stating that Boasiako was the “true de facto holder of the mineral right” and had knowingly permitted illegal mining activities.
The NPP has condemned the court's ruling, labeling it as “political imprisonment.” NPP General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua expressed the party's intention to appeal both the conviction and the sentence, arguing that the judgment lacked justification and that the judge overlooked evidence that could have exonerated Boasiako. Kodua characterized Boasiako as a “political prisoner” and accused the government of selectively prosecuting individuals to create an illusion of success in addressing illegal mining.
Illegal mining, locally referred to as "galamsey," has become a significant issue in Ghana, which is recognized as Africa's leading gold producer. The practice has led to severe environmental degradation, including the pollution of rivers with toxic substances such as mercury and cyanide, as well as damage to farmland and forest reserves. The detrimental effects of illegal mining have sparked numerous protests across the country.
In September 2024, during anti-galamsey demonstrations in Accra, more than 50 protesters, including lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, were arrested. Barker-Vormawor spent approximately three weeks in custody before being granted bail, and the charges against him were later dropped following the return of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to power in January 2025.
Following Boasiako's sentencing, Barker-Vormawor expressed support for the conviction, calling it a significant step toward justice. He emphasized the need for accountability in the fight against illegal mining, suggesting that if thousands of illegal miners received similar sentences, it would demonstrate a serious commitment to addressing the issue.
Boasiako's case marks a notable development in Ghana's ongoing efforts to combat illegal mining, as it is the first conviction of a senior political figure since the government initiated a nationwide crackdown nearly a decade ago. In a related case, Chinese national Aisha Huang, known as Ghana's “Galamsey Queen,” was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for her involvement in illegal mining activities in 2023.
As Ghana continues to grapple with the challenges posed by illegal mining, the implications of Boasiako's conviction may reverberate throughout the political landscape, potentially influencing future policies and enforcement actions related to the mining sector.