Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has reiterated his call for the swift prosecution of Akonta Mining Company owned by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman for Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Wontumi for alleged illegal mining activities.
Referencing the recent four-and-half year jail term imposed on notorious Chinese illegal mining kingpin, Aisha Huang by a High Court, Mr Kpebu wondered why a petition filed against Wontumi’s firm over twelve months ago is yet to be acted upon by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service.
“Aisha Huang’s own is even better than ours. Like you said earlier, we petitioned against Chairman Wontumi – Antwi Boasiako, NPP Chairman, and over one year the CID boss hasn’t taken the case to court… Yes, Akonta Mining, we’ve made several appeals to DCOP Faustina Andoh Kwofie that she must take this case to court,” he stated in an interview on Joynews on Tuesday, December 4, 2023.
He noted that the Minerals Commission which is responsible for issuing licenses and permits for mining companies has maintained that it never permitted Akonta Mining to conduct mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve and therefore the company must pay for illegally entering the reserved eco-habitat.
“Today, 4th December, 2023, Martin Ayisi (Minerals Commission Chief Executive Officer) repeated it that they still stand where they are that they never gave Akonta Mining any mining lease to go into the Tano Nimiri Forest. So what is it about the case that Madam Andoh Kwofie who is also a lawyer, what is she scared of? What is rocket science about it,” he stated.
While referencing evidence from journalistic works and a report by former Minister for Environment Science and Technology indicting Akonta Mining for engaging in galamsey, Martin Kpebu added that “so Madam Andoh Kwofie, please you really must send this case to court. Chairman Wontumis is also a citizen; he is not above the law.”
GA/SARA
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Wontumi's Akonta Mining has been indicted by various reports for allegad galamsey activities