Chairman Wontumi is facing six criminal charges over alleged illegal mining activities.
The Office of the Attorney-General filed the charges at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra, accusing Wontumi, Kwame Antwi, and Akonta Mining Company Limited, his firm, of violating key provisions of Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act.
The case stems from alleged unauthorised operations within Akonta Mining’s Samreboi concession in 2024.
Prosecutors allege that Wontumi and Antwi unlawfully assigned mining rights and facilitated unlicensed operations by two individuals, without the required ministerial approval.
Akonta Mining is also charged with corporate liability for enabling the activities, in breach of Sections 14(1) and 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended.
Kwame Antwi, the second accused, remains at large.
The Attorney-General’s Office, led by Dr. Dominic Ayine, filed the charges on October 6, 2025. The case is expected to test the boundaries of individual and corporate accountability in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining.
Wontumi has been granted bail of GH₵15 million with three sureties, two of which must be justified with landed property.
He must surrender his passport, is on a stop list at all borders, and is required to report to investigators twice a month.
