Chairman Wontumi jailed for 20 years after conviction on 6 illegal mining charges

• Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment after being convicted on six illegal mining-related charges.

• The court also fined him 10,000 penalty units, with a three-year default prison term to run concurrently.

• Akonta Mining Company Limited was fined after the court considered mitigating circumstances.

Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, presiding over the Criminal Division of the High Court, delivered the judgment on Monday, July 20, bringing to a close one of Ghana's most high-profile prosecutions involving illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

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In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units on the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). Should he fail to pay the fine, he will serve an additional three-year prison term, although the court ordered that the custodial sentence and the default term run concurrently.

The court convicted Mr Antwi-Boasiako on all six charges, including assigning mineral rights without the required ministerial approval and intentionally facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended.

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Under the law, the offences attract a custodial sentence ranging from 15 to 25 years.

The High Court also sanctioned Akonta Mining Company Limited, the company linked to Mr Antwi-Boasiako, but stopped short of imposing a custodial sentence.

Instead, the company was fined after the court took mitigating factors into account, meaning it avoided the prison sentence handed to its controlling director.

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Before sentencing, defence counsel Samuel Atta Akyea urged the court to impose the minimum 15-year sentence prescribed by law.

He argued that his client had cooperated with investigators throughout the trial, appeared before the court whenever required, expressed remorse and had no previous criminal convictions. The defence also cited Mr Antwi-Boasiako's contributions to his community and his responsibilities as a family man.

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However, Justice Kocuvie-Tay imposed a 20-year custodial sentence after considering submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.

The case centred on allegations that Mr Antwi-Boasiako, together with Akonta Mining and an associate, allowed mining activities to be carried out on the company's concession at Samreboi without the approval required under Ghana's mining laws.

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Throughout the trial, the NPP regional chairman pleaded not guilty and mounted several legal challenges, including attempts to halt proceedings and a late application seeking constitutional interpretation of provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act. The applications did not prevent the High Court from delivering its judgment.

The prosecution has attracted widespread public attention because of Mr Antwi-Boasiako's political profile and has featured prominently in the national debate over the enforcement of laws against illegal mining and the prosecution of politically exposed persons.