Ghana Politician Jailed Over Illegal Mining

A Ghanaian High Court has sentenced senior opposition politician Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison after convicting him on multiple illegal mining-related offences. The ruling is the highest-profile conviction so far in Ghana’s campaign against illegal mining, locally known as galamsey.

Antwi-Boasiako, who serves as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman for the Ashanti Region, was found guilty on six charges, including the unlawful transfer of mineral rights and facilitating unlicensed mining operations. The charges arose from a 2025 police operation that resulted in the arrest of several miners and the seizure of excavators, firearms and cash allegedly linked to illegal mining activities.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay said the accused did not contest the allegations during the trial and admitted that the mining activities had proceeded without the required ministerial approval. The court ruled that the evidence presented was sufficient to support the conviction on all six counts.

Illegal mining remains one of Ghana’s biggest environmental and economic challenges. Authorities say the practice has contributed to widespread pollution of rivers, destruction of forests and the degradation of farmland, while costing the country an estimated $2 billion each year in lost revenue and environmental damage.

Antwi-Boasiako’s New Patriotic Party governed Ghana from 2017 to 2025. He retains the right to appeal both his conviction and sentence. The government has maintained that investigations involving former public officials are based on evidence and are not politically motivated.

SOURCE: AFP