“In politics, stupidity is not a handicap” — Napoleon Bonaparte
A filthily rich man who once displayed gold bars on TV and offered a bid to “purchase” the Chelsea Football Club drives a posh Lamborghini 2026 to hear his fate in court. The man is slapped with a 20-year sentence, thrown into the hands of the prison officers who whisk him off to Nsawam and gets prison cell-mates who are layabouts drug addicts, burglars, seasoned smugglers—hardened criminals. He is denied his usual fufu with light soup laced with prako ntwere, ntintintini, odo ayaase.
It was 3:00 a.m. when we woke up and saw that it was a dream; no, it was a prophecy from God himself, who, like Obinim, had turned into a talking serpent.
Galamsey had been an albatross on the neck of Ghana, and when Nana Akufo-Addo assumed power in 2017, he made its eradication a priority. “I am prepared to put my presidency on the line… it’s a package to reclaim the land and let our rivers work again…” (Clap, clap, clap).
So an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by veteran surgeon Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng was formed. After exhaustive work, a report on the work of the IMCIM and the way forward was submitted to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dated 19th March 2021 was issued.” For 4 years, this report lay on the table of President Akufo-Addo, “I can state without any equivocation that many party (NPP) officials from the national to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers engaged in illegal mining most of them engaged Chinese working for them…”
Then there came the huhu-huhu about galamsey activities by Wontumi and Akonta Mining. Surprise, surprise: Akufo-Addo on a political platform washed Wontumi and Akonta Mining clean: “Akonta Mining is not doing illegal mining as I speak now.” Ei!
Then the day came (May 27, 2025) and Wontumi was invited by EOCO, which put a heavy bail (GH¢50M) on him. Wontumi tried to whip up emotions on his side: “NPP fo monsore oo, Ghana fo monsore oo; adɛn afei deɛ mennyɛ Ghanani bio?” The charge: irregularities in the acquisition of a loan by Wontumi from the Exim Bank. Afenyo-Markin, the Minority leader led a group of NPP members of Parliament to protest at the EOCO office, and they sat in the road at the EOCO office. How politically useful was this gesture? MPs sitting on the road?
For the case at the Accra High Court, Wontumi has Andy Appiah-Kubi, Esq. as his lawyer, but as the case progressed, Appiah-Kubi withdrew his services, and Wontumi appointed Atta Akyea.
Readers may recall the case involving Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) and Ken Kuranchie. While Sir John’s lawyer was Ayikoi Otoo, who pleaded for leniency for his client as his “birthday gift”, the judge, asked Atuguba Sir John, “How do you feel?” Sir John responded: “I’m humbled”. Sir John went home with a fine Ken Kuranchie spent some days in jail.
The judge gave Wontumi 20 years, 5 years shy of 25 years (maximum).
This is the sentence NPP people call “political”, so Wontumi is a political prisoner? Justin Frimpong Koduah, NPP General Secretary said the NPP reject the narrative entirely.
Count One: Assignment of mineral rights contrary to Section 14(1) and Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995). Particulars of Offence: Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Wontumi, 49 years old, entrepreneur, that you, in the year 2024, in Samreboi in the Western Region and within the jurisdiction of this Court, being the owner and controlling director of Akonta Mining Company, did, without first obtaining the prior written approval of the Minister, permit Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to undertake mining operations within the mining concession which was granted to the said Akonta Mining Company Limited only.
Did we see the harm of flooding particularly on Samreboi, the hub of Akonta Mining activities, and somebody will say NDC is targeting people who have “done no wrong”? How was the judgment a “travesty of justice”? Was there “no evidence” to support the conviction?
So, you see how NPP has pampered its members, particularly those doing galamsey, why would we not agree with those who blame Akufo-Addo for the plight of Wontumi? Did Akufo-Addo ever call Wontumi to warn him to desist from doing galamsey?
We remember Abu Jinapor insisting that he granted Wontumi licence to mine around the Forest Reserve and not inside the Forest Reserve—and even the Forest Reserve itself, who was the supervisor? Our own friend, Sir John, who disingenuously parcelled out Achimota Forest and other forests to people close to him!
If we had not seen such trials before, we would have accepted the charge against NDC–Mahama government of a “political persecution”.
Under the Kufuor regime, Kwame Peprah, a former Minister of Finance, was sentenced to 4 years in prison in the Quality Grain scandal.
Victor Selormey, a former Deputy Minister of Finance, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for financial loss and diversion of state funds. Dr. Abodakpi, former Minister of Trade and Industry, was given a sentence of 10 years. Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) was sentenced to 5 years in jail (He won his appeal later). Mallam Yusuf Ali Issah, a former Minister of Youth and Sports, was sentenced to 4 years over misusing public funds.
Dr. George Sipa-Adjah Yankey and Ibrahim Adam, former ministerial officials, were jailed 2 years each for their involvement in the Aveyime Rice scandal. Even under Nana Akufo-Addo’s NPP government, people like Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson present Minister of Finance was prosecuted in the high-profile ambulance procurement case.
Dr. Stephen Opuni, former CEO of COCOBOD, was tried in a major financial loss and corruption-related trial involving Seidu Agongo. Collins Dauda faced trial with others in the Saglemi Housing Project. Remember the Agyekum case? Pile (6 years), Mulip Asibit (12 years), Sedinam Tamakloe (10 years) (now acquitted), Eugene Baffoe-Bonney of NCA jailed for causing financial loss. Lawyer Maurice Ampaw says, “Anger and the curses of God will fall on every person who is rejoicing because of the predicament of Chairman Wontumi. Because the Bible says we have all sinned and were born in sin. So those who wish bad for Wontumi must be prepared for God’s anger and judgment.” That is the opinion of the lawyer who thinks he could have handled the case for Wontumi better! Better than Andy Appiah Kubi?
But we will ask respectable Nana Akomeah: What makes Wontumi’s trial and sentencing “selective justice”? Is it not the same blood running through the veins of the jailed NDC apparatchiks and the NPP people? Doesn’t Kwasi Nti Asamoah, former Chairman of Fomena Constituency, make sense when he says: “Only fools will demonstrate for the release of Chairman Wontumi. … I will not support anyone who indulges in crime”. He said Panin de Panin. NPP nkwadaa didi atem (NPP youth heap insults on elders). And we have NPP bigwigs following Abronye for all his insults, oh?
The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah has advice for the NPP and NDC (over the Wontumi’s jail): “What this judgment does to the country is to send a clearer signal that no matter who you are, your status or rank, political coloration, that if you go to do illegal mining, the law would find you and deal with you. Let not the NDC also rejoice. ‘The wheels of justice will grind slowly.’
Martin Kpebu, private legal practitioner, claims that the judiciary fast-tracking politically sensitive cases is not new. He cites the prosecution of Assin North MP James Gyakye Quayson and the collapse of Menzgold. The judiciary of operating in “ambulance mode”, It’s a sound decision Ghana is working again. It takes bravery …. A Justice Audrey must be the next judge to go to the court of Appeal. Well… what do we want to teach our children?
