Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti regional chairman of Ghana’s main opposition party, has been handed a twenty‑year prison sentence with hard labour for illegal mining offences. The punishment also carries a fine that exceeds $10,000.
The case centres on two charges: assigning mineral rights without approval and permitting a mining operation through his company Akonta Mining without the required licence. Boasiako had denied any wrongdoing, but the judge found him guilty on both counts during a hearing in Accra.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reacted with outrage, arguing that the ruling is politically motivated. NPP messages suggest that the trial lacks credible evidence and that the judge ignored exonerating information.
Prosecutors maintain that Boasiako allowed two individuals, Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi, to conduct mining activities on the concession without ministerial approval. The conviction is the first time a senior politician has been jailed for illegal mining since the government intensified its crackdown on galamsey in 2017.
Environment activists hailed the decision as a deterrent to other politicians and businessmen who finance illegal mining. Adib Saani, executive director of the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, said it sends a clear signal that accountability is indispensable for protecting Ghana’s natural resources.
Frimpong, NPP’s general secretary, has said the party’s lawyers will challenge Boasiako’s conviction through the legal system.
