BY DANIEL BAMPOE
The prosecution has closed its case against former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two other accused persons in the criminal trial over alleged illegal mining activities in the Tano-Nimire Forest Reserve.
The development marks a significant stage in the proceedings at the Accra High Court, where the state has presented evidence through three witnesses in support of its allegations against the accused persons.
Wontumi lawyers are demanding for the recall of the first prosecution witness.
The prosecution called two former employees of Akonta Mining Company Limited and a detective from the Ghana Police Service.
According to the state, the former employees testified about Wontumi’s alleged involvement in the company’s mining operations within the forest reserve.
The police detective, meanwhile, tendered drone footage, other audiovisual materials and official communications as exhibits. The prosecution relied on the materials to support the testimonies of the former employees and advance its case concerning the alleged mining activities.
During the proceedings, the state maintained that the accused persons had sought, under cross-examination, to distance themselves from the operations in the Tano-Nimire Forest Reserve. The prosecution’s position is that the evidence presented by its witnesses and the accompanying exhibits support the allegations against the accused persons.
Following the close of the prosecution’s case, counsel for the accused persons Samuel Atta Akyea asked the court for permission to recall the first prosecution witness, Edward Akuoko for further cross-examination.
The request signals that the defence is seeking another opportunity to question the witness on aspects of the evidence already presented.
The defense described Akuoko—a former General Manager of the mining firm who turned state witness—as a “self-confessed illegal miner” and seeks further cross-examination. The court directed the defense to formally serve this application to the prosecution via WhatsApp by October 30, 2026, and adjourned the case to November 4,
The outcome of that application could determine whether the first prosecution witness will return to the witness box for further questioning before the trial proceeds to its next stage.
The case centres on allegations of illegal mining within the Tano-Nimire Forest Reserve, with the state seeking to establish the alleged involvement of Wontumi and the other accused persons in mining operations linked to Akonta Mining Company Limited.
The trial has attracted public attention because of Wontumi’s political profile and the wider national debate over illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, and its impact on Ghana’s forests and natural resources.
The defence will have the opportunity to challenge the prosecution’s evidence through the procedures permitted by the court. Until the trial is concluded and a verdict delivered, the allegations against Wontumi and his co-accused remain unproven.
All attention now turns to November 4, when the court is expected to consider whether the first prosecution witness should be recalled for further cross-examination.
