Shock and outrage as Ghanaian politician sentenced for illegal mining

Ghana’s top opposition figure, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the NPP’s Ashanti‑region chairman, was handed a 20‑year jail term with hard labour and fined over $10,000 (£7,450) for illegal mining offences, a verdict that has sparked anger across the political spectrum.

Boasiako, widely known as “Chairman Wontumi,” is the first senior Ghanaian politician to be convicted under the country’s 2017 crackdown on illegal, or “galamsey,” mining. The court found him guilty of “assigning mineral rights without approval” and “facilitating an unlicensed mining operation” through his company, Akonta Mining.

The decision, announced this Monday in Accra, prompted the NPP’s general secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, to accuse the judiciary of selective justice – arguing the case was “politically motivated” and that evidence supporting Boasiako’s innocence was disregarded.

Environmental groups hailing the conviction say it signals accountability for politicians and businesses that finance illegal mining. “It will deter others who profit from destroying Ghana’s forests and rivers,” noted Adib Saani of the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building.

Despite the backlash, NPP’s legal team is already preparing a challenge against the judgment, while Boasiako himself expressed shock at the outcome.