Lawyers for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, say they are yet to receive any official communication from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) regarding reports of a freeze on his bank accounts.
Recent media reports claimed the FIC had frozen all accounts linked to Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining, over alleged financial irregularities.
The freeze, according to reports, was carried out under Section 56(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044), which empowers the FIC to restrict access to financial accounts when there is reasonable suspicion of illicit activity.
Reacting to the reports, Chairman Wontumi’s legal counsel, Andy Appiah-Kubi, told Citi News that they had not been served any official documents either from the FIC or from the affected banks.
“We just received this communication from my client. The instruction is that the FIC sent an order to freeze the account of my client. We hope that we will be served with the appropriate processes, and we will make a presentation.
“We will respond in equal measure and defend the position of my client. No, the communication came from the advocacy through the press and was forwarded to me. We’re waiting for the processes to initiate our defence,” Appiah-Kubi explained.
He further disclosed that plans are underway to challenge the reported revocation of Akonta Mining’s lease in court, and legal documents are being finalized for filing.
“We’re processing the writ, and my duty is to proofread the drafting and then get it filed. If we’re early enough, we will be able to do it this afternoon [April 24], otherwise we will do it on Friday, April 25,” he added.
Chairman Wontumi and his mining operations have been under increased public scrutiny amid calls for greater accountability in the extractive sector.
Source: Citinewsroom