Re-Examining Former President Akufo-Addo’s Defense of Akonta Mining Amid Landmark Conviction | Discuss Ghana

The High Court’s conviction and 20-year prison sentence handed down to New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) has thrust a controversial January 2023 statement by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo back into the national political spotlight.

Addressing the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Association in Koforidua in early 2023, President Akufo-Addo publicly defended the firm amid mounting pressure from civil society and environmental coalitions:

“I want to assure you all that Akonta Mining is not engaged in any form of illegal mining anywhere in Ghana as we speak,” President Akufo-Addo famously declared at the time.

 

A Flashpoint of Political and Legal Controversy

The former President’s remarks immediately triggered backlash from civil society organizations, anti-galamsey coalitions, and opposition leaders, who argued that the executive declaration risked undermining independent investigations:

The Media Coalition Against Galamsey: CSOs expressed deep disappointment over the President's public intervention, pointing to existing directives from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission that had already ordered Akonta Mining to stop operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve due to a lack of valid permits.

The "Clearing Agent" Criticism: Opposition figures and legal commentators accused the presidency of acting as a "clearing house" for politically connected individuals facing legal scrutiny over environmental infractions.

Ministerial Defense: Government spokespersons, including former Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, later sought to clarify that the President’s statement referred strictly to active operations at that exact moment ("as we speak") and was not intended to shield the company from retrospective prosecution.

Judicial Reality vs. Executive Assurance

Three years after the former President's public defense, the prosecution led by the Attorney-General's Department successfully established in court that Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining had indeed unlawfully assigned mineral rights and deliberately facilitated unlicensed, illegal mining operations at their Samreboi site.

The stark contrast between the former President's 2023 public exoneration and Criminal Court 4's 2026 guilty verdict is being cited by legal analysts as a significant victory for judicial independence and the rule of law over executive political influence.