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The State has withdrawn all criminal charges against Edward Akuoko, a manager of Akonta Mining Company Limited, after he agreed to assist prosecutors in the ongoing illegal mining case involving the company and some of its officials.
A notice filed at the High Court in Accra on 3 November and signed by the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, confirmed the withdrawal of the charges in accordance with Section 59 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30). The move officially discharged Akuoko, who had been listed as the fourth accused person in the case.
Sources close to the prosecution indicate that the decision followed Akuoko’s cooperation with investigators, which reportedly includes his willingness to testify against key individuals connected to Akonta Mining’s alleged illegal operations.
The case, titled The Republic versus Akonta Mining Company Limited, involves several accused persons, among them the company’s owner and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako — widely known as Chairman Wontumi — and the company’s Operations Manager, Kwadwo Owusu Bempah, who is currently on the run.
Court documents show that the accused face multiple counts, including undertaking mining operations without a licence, felling trees in a forest reserve without authorisation, and erecting structures in a forest reserve without the necessary approval. These charges relate to activities alleged to have taken place within the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region.
According to prosecutors, Akonta Mining allegedly moved excavators and workers into the forest in 2022 despite the company’s earlier application to mine in the protected area having been rejected. The illegal operations reportedly resulted in extensive environmental degradation, affecting more than 13 hectares of forest land and contaminating portions of the Tano River.
In a related development, the High Court last week rescinded a bench warrant issued for the arrest of Chairman Wontumi after he appeared before the court with his legal representatives.
The trial continues against Akonta Mining Company Limited and the remaining accused persons.
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