The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, once bragged that President John Mahama would have to negotiate with him through National Security, before stepping foot in Kumasi, a boast meant to show how powerful he was in the region.
But fast-forward to Monday, May 26, 2025 the once-boisterous regional political kingpin was seen reporting quietly to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra, flanked by his legal counsel and party allies, after a dramatic and failed attempt by security forces to arrest him the previous Friday, in Kumasi.
Though details of the interrogation remain undisclosed, sources close to the investigation indicate that Wontumi was questioned about the operations of Akonta Mining and whether he authorised any mining activity in restricted areas.
Chairman Wontumi was accompanied by his legal counsel, former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame and the former Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi.
Speaking to the media after his appearance Appiah-Kubi dismissed the attempted arrest as “politically motivated and legally unsound.” He added that Wontumi remained cooperative and had nothing to hide.
Home Invasion
On May 23, 2025 Ghanaians were stunned when news broke that a combined team of National Security operatives and police officers had surrounded Chairman Wontumi’s residence in Kumasi, in an attempt to arrest him.
The heavily armed officers arrived unannounced, allegedly in relation to an ongoing investigation into illegal mining activities, allegedly linked to Akonta Mining Company Limited, a firm owned by Wontumi.
The operation triggered chaos as supporters of the regional chairman rushed to his residence to block the arrest.
But speaking to Wontumi FM after the incident, Chairman Wontumi decried what he believes is a targeted attack rooted in politics. “Am I not a Ghanaian anymore? Now that you’ve won the election and become President, does that mean I’m no longer a Ghanaian?” he questioned, directing his frustration at President Mahama.
Abuse of power
He called on NPP supporters and concerned Ghanaians to speak out against what he described as abuse of power. “Ghanaians, rise! All NPP supporters should rise. It is because of you that Mahama is treating me this way,” he said in the local dialect – Twi and translated into English by The Chronicle.
Chairman Wontumi, known for his fiery political rhetoric, defended his role in national politics and questioned the justification for the government’s actions.
“Was I ever a Vice President? Have I ever chaired a board? Have I ever been a CEO? Was I ever a minister?” he asked, adding “I am only the chairman of a political party and it is my duty to campaign for my party.”
He went on to accuse the Mahama administration of deliberately collapsing his businesses and freezing his bank accounts.
“You collapsed my business back in 2013. Since you assumed office, you’ve halted all my operations. Even the bank account I rely on has been frozen,” he alleged.
Akonta Mining
Akonta Mining had previously been accused of engaging in illegal mining within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, located in the Western Region. The then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had in 2022 ordered the closure of all operations of Akonta Mining in the forest reserve, declaring them unauthorised and in violation of Ghana’s mining regulations.
The current Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, recently directed the immediate revocation of all mining licenses held by Akonta Mining Company Limited. This follows serious allegations of illegal mining activities (galamsey) and regulatory breaches by the mining company.
Wontumi reportedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that Akonta Mining had abided by the law since the suspension directive.
CocoaBod Saga
However, a news report by a Accra-based TV station has alleged that the security raid was over a GH¢50 million payment by the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) in the last days of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government.
The report indicated that the payment was made to Hallmark Civil Engineering, a company reportedly owned by Wontumi, after the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, had barred contract payments during the transition period.
“We are being told that this payment was done in the dying days of the NPP during the transition to the NDC, and at that time, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, had issued a warning to state agencies to stop all payments,” ChannelOne TV’s Charles Owusu Kumi said.
Bail
Chairman Wontumi has meanwhile been granted bail of an undisclosed amount with two sureties. Speaking to journalists after he has been questioned by the police, Chairman Wontumi said upon interrogations, issues of his alleged involvement in galamsey came up, which he refuted, stating emphatically that he is not engaged in illegal mining. He noted that he provided his license as proof of engaging in authorized mining activity.
“I came to show them my license to prove that I am not into galamsey. They also claimed that I have been engaging in mining in forest, but I refuted that claim and challenged them to provide evidence. They granted me bail with two sureties,” he said.
The post Kumasi ‘Prime Minister’ Granted Bail appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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