According to Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, he disagrees with the Ghana Catholic Bishops' demands that the government bring charges against the owners of Akonta Mining Limited for engaging in illegal mining.
The owner of Akonta Mining Limited expressed regret that the Catholic Bishops did not invite him to hear his side of the story before falsely claiming he is into galamsey in an interview on an Accra-based radio station that Wontumionline.com was listening to.
He claims that after being wrongfully accused of running a galamsey operation, he worked with the Office of the Special Prosecutor and provided them with papers proving that he engages in legitimate mining, just like other large-scale miners in Ghana.
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The Catholic Bishops were criticized by Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, for not doing a thorough investigation into his case before making the false accusation.
Following their plenary meeting in Donkokrom, in the Eastern Region, the Ghanaian Catholic Bishops urged the government to pursue those who fund illegal mining.
“One critical example is the call for prosecution of the owners of Akonta mining Limited, among others who have been accused by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, confirmed by the Minerals Commission and reported in the media”, a part of their statement read.
But Chairman Wontumi advised the Bishops to keep in mind that “not everything that is thrown on the airwaves is true.”
“I disagree with them when they say Akonta mining is into galamsey. I am a Catholic and I expected them to call me to hear my side of the story. I could have shown them my documents…Paul said he didn’t want to be a burden so he used his hand to work. I (Wontumi) don’t want to be a burden on the church so I work harder with my hand”, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi said.
Chairman Wontumi explained that he is a law abiding citizen and for that reason, ensures that his mining company obeys every directive from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Minerals Commission when it comes to mining operations.
He noted that tagging his operations as galamsey is equal to calling all other large scale miners in Ghana galamsey operators.