Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai confirmed the development in a Facebook post on Wednesday, June 3, noting that the fifth and final defence witness had been discharged from the witness box, formally bringing the trial to an end.
“The Accused Persons in the case — THE REPUBLIC v BERNARD ANTWI-BOASIAKO & 2 OTHERS — called their 5th and last witness today. The witness was discharged from the witness box a while ago. That brought the entire trial to an end. The judge has scheduled July 3 for judgement,” he wrote.
Wontumi, owner of Akonta Mining Company Limited, was hauled before two separate High Courts in October 2025 on different illegal mining-related offences. In the first case, the prosecution accused him and his company of permitting two persons to undertake mining operations on his Samreboi concession without obtaining approval from the sector minister, slapping him with two counts of assignment of mineral rights without approval and two counts of facilitating an unlicensed mining operation.
The Attorney-General filed six criminal charges against the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, his company Akonta Mining, and one other individual identified as Kwame Antwi, a director of Akonta Mining, who is currently at large. According to the charge sheet, Wontumi and his company allowed two men — Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to mine on Akonta’s concession at Samreboi without ministerial approval and without holding a mining licence.
Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi were arrested following a special anti-galamsey operation in April 2025, which led to the arrest of 29 people and the seizure of mining equipment and weaponry.
An Accra High Court subsequently dismissed Wontumi’s no-case submission, ruling that the prosecution had established sufficient grounds for the accused to answer the allegations and ordering him to open his defence.
Wontumi completed his own testimony on May 22, 2026, after which the court granted his lawyers until May 28 to present any additional witnesses, cautioning that failure to do so would result in the defence case being closed. The final witness was presented and discharged on Wednesday, June 3, clearing the way for the July 3 judgement date.
Presiding judge Justice Audrey Cocuvie-Tay will deliver the ruling, which is expected to draw significant public and political attention.
