Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Ken Ashigbey, has described the conviction of Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a significant step in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, but insists the law must be applied equally to all offenders regardless of political affiliation.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Ashigbey commended the High Court for what he described as a courageous decision, saying the ruling sends a strong message that no one is above the law.
According to him, sustained enforcement of the law against illegal mining operators will help curb the destruction of the country’s forests and water bodies.
“This is a positive step. The judge has shown boldness in his judgment. If I were the judge, I would have gone for the ultimate sentence of 25 years plus the fine to serve as a deterrent,” he said.
“If we keep pushing this whole fight against galamsey, we will get to a point where we will start seeing results. This has taught us that in this fight, it doesn’t matter how big or influential you are, your time of justice will come,” he stated.
Mr. Ashigbey, however, cautioned against selective justice, expressing hope that Chairman Wontumi’s conviction would not become an isolated case because his party is no longer in government.
He further argued that public officials who facilitated illegal mining activities should also be held accountable.
“I am hoping that we should ensure that it’s not because Wontumi’s party is not in power, but that we will prosecute anyone found culpable, no matter what party they belong to,” he stressed.
He alleged that some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) had interfered with the government’s seizure of excavators by collecting the equipment or permits from mining sites, actions he said aided illegal mining.
“When we realised some MCEs and DCEs were going to mining sites to collect the changfans that government had confiscated, those people were facilitating illegal mining because what they were doing was illegal. As far as we are concerned, both current and former MCEs involved should have been charged the same as Wontumi,” he said.
Mr. Ashigbey added that removing influential figures from illegal mining operations would discourage others and allow genuine small-scale miners to operate within the law.
Chairman Wontumi was sentenced by the Accra High Court to 20 years’ imprisonment after being found guilty in the illegal mining case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The court also convicted Akonta Mining Company Limited and another accused person, Kwame Antwi, over unlawful mining activities on the concession. In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000, with a default sentence of three years’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid. The custodial sentence and the default term attached to the fine are to run concurrently.
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