By Gifty Boateng
The Ashanti Regional chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, is expected to meet the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today Monday May 26.
It follows an invitation extended to him by the Department to assist investigations concerning his company, Akonta Mining, which previously under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government, was accused of entering the Tano Nimiri Forest. in the Western Region, in 2022, when he had no license to do so.
Citizens Against Illegal Mining, a civil society group led by private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu and Ing, Ken Ashigbi in the past petitioned the former head of the CID Faustina Agyeiwaa Kodua Andoh-Kwofie and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare, but not much was heard.
The group after the change of government and the appointment of heads of the Police administration, repeated their request to the new Director-General (D-G) DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, on April 21 also held a press conference to repeat the concerns of his predecessor Samuel Abu Jinapor and the devastation caused to the Forest by the company.
He announced he has directed for the revocation of the company’s license and financial accounts frozen pending investigations, due to illegal mining.
“This company has not only trespassed into protect reserves but has become a criminal syndicate, selling access of the Aboi Forest Reserve to illegal mines for a staggering GHc300, 000 per concession. Worse, these illegal miners operate under Akonta’s protection, devastating the River Tano and surrounding forests with impunity”, the minister said.
The NPP regional chairman was supposed to have honoured the invitation last week but according to his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, he fell unwell and so the meeting was rescheduled today. Monday.
It also comes in the wake of an attempt by the National Security to raid his house through a search warrant on Friday May 23.
Although the operatives stormed the place, they had to abort their mission after he refused to open the gate of his house.
Despite not opening his doors, Wontumi as he is popularly called was heard on his Wontumi radio/television, weeping bitterly and calling on members and supporters of the NPP, to besiege his house, to stop the security officers from executing the search warrant.
“Ghanaians, rise up. All NPP members, rise up. I am being intimidated by President John Dramani because of you—members of the NPP. I have never been a vice president, a member, a CEO, or a board member of any state institute.
In 2013, my business was collapsed, yet when we [the NPP] came to power, I didn’t retaliate. Now that you’ve assumed office on 2025, you’re still targeting my companies.
Even my bank accounts have been frozen. Today, I struggled to eat and pay my children’s school fees. What state money came to me that justifies this harassment”, he cried out.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abass Nurudeen has advised his political opponent to be a responsible citizen and avail himself to the law.
Contrary to Wontumi’s claim that he is being singled out for persecution, Nurudeen said such is not the case indicating he will not be allowed to emotionally blackmail Ghanaians and government.
According to him, there are barrage of reasons the NPP stalwart is being invited by the security agencies saying aside his company’s role in the destruction of Ghana’s forest reserves, there equally more issues he needs to answer for.
Unknown to many, when power changed, National Security found state vehicles in his residence even though he is not a government appointee stressing if the government was in a hurry to deal with him, it would have immediately pressed charges for stealing but it did not
Speaking on Friday at the time Wontumi hid from operatives of the National Security, Nurudeen said what the security officers are chasing him for are more than vehicles. In a media interview with Okay FM, the NDC communicator recounted what he described as his crime one after the other.
According to Nurudeen, Wontumi is on record to have taken a $10 million facility from the Ghana Exim Bank, for maize cultivation in his region but this work was not done.
“Again, Wontumi, President Mahama established the Ghana Exim Bank to support businesses he went for 10 million dollars to cultivate maize but he has squandered the money today Wontumi will vomit it.
He went for the funds to grow maize at Kumawu he has spent it. Funds that could have been given to the youth as startups because your government was in power, you went for it”, Nurudeen told host Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie.
He also alleged the loudmouthed politician took a road contract from the debt distressed Ghana Cocoa Board under Joseph Boahene Aidoo, for roads in the cocoa and oil rich Western Region but here again after he charged exorbitantly, Wontumi did not execute the work.
“There was cocoa contract in the Western Region, at the time COCOBOD one kilometer of stretch of asphaltic overlay was $800. 000 but he said every one kilometer was $1.5 million. He collected $45 million but didn’t do the project. The road is still lying there as I speak to you and it has not been done. Yes, $45 million dollars under the cocoa road and that was not the only place”.
The said money was not paid until political power changed and Chief of Staff Julius Debrah issued a directive that any debt that is above GHc10 million should not be paid pending investigation.
“What we saw was that COCOBOD, their deputy CEO Ray Ankrah defied Chief of Staff’s directive and transferred GHc50 million into Wontumi’s account. As soon as the money hit his account, he withdrew 11 million and purchased treasury bills with 31 million. He invested the rest into his insurance company called Paradise Insurance. So it means he conspired with somebody at COCOBOD to do this and so when we came we froze all his accounts”, Nurudeen submitted.
The act did not end there but extended to his home region, Wontumi he maintained took another funds to construct another road project that it was never done.
“If you go to Ashanti Region, there is a place called Sabronun a road from there to Offinso Abofour, he was given mobilization all that funds……So if someone has done this you are saying because he is a regional chairman he should not be arrested then you are a nation wrecker”, he told NPP’s Communication director in the region Paul Yandoh who was also interviewed”.
He said the reported raid of Wontumi’s house was “Just the beginning whoever has shortchanged Ghanaians will be made to account for their deeds”. The NDC regional secretary warned his colleagues in government today to see what is happening today as a deterrent for the future as they will account for their stewardship.
He rubbished claims that the government was going after Wontumi because he has declared his intention to contest as a national chairman.
In his view, that assertion holds no substance because even as regional chairman, the NPP was beaten soundly in the last election where they secured 34 percent of the region’s total valid votes, something that had not happened since the 2000 election indicating whether or not he contests for national executive election, he will be made to face the law.
He said claims that he is being persecuted is false because there are others in the previous government like Kwabena Adu-boahene and Prof Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, who have been dragged to courts but are not contesting for election.
He maintained that Wontumi will be taken through lawful process and if he is found not to have done any wrong, he will be freed.