Author: Political Desk

Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has disclosed that the Office of the Attorney-General has rejected a plea bargain proposal submitted by lawyers for New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in connection with criminal charges arising from a loan facility obtained from the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank. According to Dr Srem-Sai, although plea bargain discussions had commenced between the prosecution and the defence, the proposal submitted by Wontumi’s legal team did not meet the state’s expectations. Speaking in an interview with TV3 Ghana, the Deputy Attorney-General said the…

Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has dismissed claims that the government is applying the law selectively in illegal mining (galamsey) cases, stating that investigations into allegations against National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Organiser Joseph Yamin and Third National Vice Chairman Abanga Yakubu are still ongoing. Speaking in response to concerns over the status of the investigations, Dr Srem-Sai said the cases involving the two NDC officials have not been concluded and should not be compared with other prosecutions. “Investigations are still ongoing,” he said, adding that the pace of investigations varies depending on the complexity of…

The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr Gideon Boako, has accused government of significantly reducing expenditure because of poor revenue performance during the first quarter of 2026. Contributing to debate in Parliament on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the Tano North MP argued that weak revenue mobilisation has forced government to scale back spending, including capital investment. “In quarter one alone of 2026, government revenue fell short by 4.5% and by so doing government had to reduce expenditure by 29%,” he said. Dr Boako further noted that, “In 2025 alone, government revenue fell short by 2.2% and government expenditure…

The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, has publicly acknowledged the contribution of The1957News to a police operation that led to the rescue of suspected human trafficking victims and the dismantling of a cybercrime network at Kwabenya in the Greater Accra Region. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, COP Donkor said information that triggered the operation reached the Ghana Police Service after one of the victims contacted The1957News. She noted that the information enabled investigators to act swiftly, culminating in the rescue of the victims and the disruption…

Benjamin Quaye, son of the late Ghana football legend Shamo Quaye, has officially become a FIFA-licensed football agent and announced the launch of 10 & 21 Sports Agency, marking a significant milestone in his commitment to the development of football talent in Ghana and beyond. After successfully passing the FIFA Football Agent Examination, Benjamin now joins the growing community of licensed football agents authorized to represent players, negotiate transfers, and provide professional career guidance in accordance with FIFA regulations. Inspired by the remarkable legacy of his father, Shamo Quaye, Benjamin established 10 & 21 Sports Agency with a vision of…

The Government of Ghana has secured an initial US$250,000 development grant from the World Gold Council as part of a broader US$1 million to support responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining and strengthen efforts to curb illegal gold trade. The funding forms part of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ghana and the World Gold Board through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to improve supply chain integrity and promote environmentally sustainable mining practices. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Honourable Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, described the partnership as a major step towards ensuring that Ghanaian gold…

South Dayi Member of Parliament and Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has rejected claims that the prosecution of former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was politically motivated. According to Mr Dafeamekpor, the legal challenges facing Chairman Wontumi did not originate under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, arguing that the previous NPP government had already distanced itself from his alleged illegal mining activities before it left office. Speaking on Channel One TV on Monday, July 20, 2026, while discussing developments following Chairman Wontumi’s conviction in the Samreboi…

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said the conviction of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was inevitable based on the evidence presented by the prosecution during the trial. According to Mr Kpebu, the testimony of the second prosecution witness proved decisive because the witness admitted carrying out the mining activities and told the court that Chairman Wontumi had granted him access to the concession where the illegal operations took place. Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, July 20, 2026, Mr Kpebu said the witness’ account established a direct…

Lead Counsel for the Minority Caucus, John Darko, has criticised the Accra High Court’s conviction of former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing the judgment as a misapplication of the law. According to Mr Darko, the prosecution failed to establish that Chairman Wontumi had transferred his mining concession to persons engaged in illegal mining activities. The Suame Member of Parliament argued that while other individuals were alleged to have carried out unlawful mining on the concession, they were not the ones prosecuted, insisting there was insufficient evidence linking…

Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini, has said he has no sympathy for former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, following his conviction in the Samreboi illegal mining case. According to Mr Fuseini, the widespread destruction caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has had severe consequences for communities across the country, particularly farmers and fishing communities whose livelihoods have been affected by the pollution of rivers and the degradation of farmlands. He argued that many rural residents can no longer depend on streams and…