A High-Stakes Legal Battle in Accra
It isn't every day you see a former top government official testifying in court to shield a political heavyweight from criminal charges. On Wednesday, May 28, 2026, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, who previously led the Regional Security Council, threw his weight behind Bernard Antwi-Boasiako. The man widely known as Chairman Wontumi is currently navigating a six-count charge sheet centered on illegal mining operations, often referred to locally as galamsey.
The scene in the Accra High Court was tense as the defence team, led by Andy Appiah-Kubi, sought to introduce a pen drive during proceedings. This small piece of hardware contains video footage of the Samreboi concession, which the former Minister insists captures the true state of the site during his time as security chair. He claims that the evidence they need to clear the accused is right there on that drive.
The judge has ruled that the concerns raised by the state's counsel can be addressed through cross-examination.
This ruling paved the way for the video to be admitted, despite fierce opposition from the prosecution. Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Prempeh argued that the video lacked a timestamp, making it impossible to verify exactly when or where it was recorded. She suggested that without clear metadata, the video could be a piece of theatre rather than concrete evidence.
The Procedural Tug-of-War
The drama wasn't just about the video; it was about how the legal game is being played. The prosecution complained that they were ambushed by a list of witnesses that kept shifting. Nana Ama Prempeh told the court that a witness named Evans Adai had suddenly appeared on the scene, catching the state's legal team off guard. She requested that the defence provide a full, comprehensive list of their witnesses, rather than revealing them one by one.
The defence filed two separate statements—one on May 25 and another on May 28—but the prosecution hadn't been served with both. The court intervened to manage the confusion, agreeing to proceed with Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah's statement while leaving the rest for another day. This piecemeal approach to legal documentation has clearly frustrated the state, as they want to avoid endless Case Management Conferences that only prolong the trial.
Akonta Mining Limited, the company at the heart of this storm, faces serious accusations that they permitted two individuals, Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi, to dig for minerals without the required stamp of approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. The law requires a specific permit, and the state's case hinges on the claim that this permit was nowhere to be found. If the defence can prove via their video that the operations were above board or occurred under different circumstances, their entire narrative could collapse.
The Stakes of the Akonta Case
The Samreboi site has been a lightning rod for controversy, particularly given the heightened sensitivity around environmental destruction in the Western region. For years, the government has been under intense pressure to curb activities that ruin forest reserves and pollute water bodies. Akonta Mining represents a specific test case of whether the law catches up to the big players or if the legal system simply provides a stage for endless procedural battles.
The court has set June 1, 2026, at 2 p.m. for the next sitting. By then, the prosecution will likely have reviewed the video evidence, and a fierce cross-examination of the former Minister is expected. The pen drive remains in the court's possession, holding the potential to either sink or save the mining magnate.