The General Manager of Akonta Mining Company Limited, Edward Akuako has opened up about his decision to turn state witness in the high-profile illegal mining case against the company’s owner, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking in an interview on Okay FM’s morning show, Edward Akuako explained that his choice was driven by self-preservation and a commitment to truth, amid fears that he could face imprisonment without public support, unlike his prominent boss.
He recounted appearing in handcuffs alongside Wontumi in court, only to realize the disparity in their public backing.
“When we appeared in court, everyone saw me in handcuffs with Chairman Wontumi; however, no member of the party leadership checked up on me,” he stated.
“I realized that if I don’t take care, I would find myself wanting. We all saw party supporters massing up and shouting ‘free Chairman Wontumi,’ but did you hear any shout ‘free Akuoko?’”
His decision comes as the Office of the Attorney General (AG) formally withdrew all charges against him on November 3, 2025, pursuant to Section 59 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30).
Prior to that, Edward Akuako was the fourth accused person in the trial, facing three counts of corruption-related charges alongside Akonta Mining Company Limited, Wontumi (the second accused), co-director Kwame Antwi (third accused, currently at large), and Operations Manager Kwadwo Owusu Bempah (fifth accused, also at large).
The case, filed on October 6, 2025, at the High Court in Accra, alleges illegal mining activities by the accused persons in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve and the Samreboi area in 2024.
Prosecutors claim the operations, which involved transporting excavators and workers into the protected forest despite a rejected application, destroyed over 13 hectares of land and polluted the Tano River.
The charges include conspiracy to mine without a license, mining in a forest reserve without authorization, and environmental damage, among others.
Edward Akuako emphasized that his decision was not born of disloyalty but of pragmatic counsel and family concerns.
“That is why I said that one has to thread cautiously when you are confronted with issues as someone who is not popular. I realized no one knew [me], and I therefore could not compare myself to my boss,” he said.
“I could end up being jailed without anyone noticing, but for Chairman Wontumi, what I realized is that even if he is eventually jailed, he will likely obtain a presidential pardon if the NPP comes to power in the future,” he added.
“Now everybody keeps shouting ‘free Chairman Wontumi,’ but I also have a family; I have a wife and children, both of my parents are also alive, and they have been worried,” the managing director further stated.
According to him, he is very much aware of the implications of lying under oath and is intent on testifying to only the truth for the court to make a determination on Wontumi’s fate.
“The state is asking me to testify to the truth that I know. The state is not asking me to lie, and neither do I intend to lie against Chairman Wontumi, but I will speak the truth to obtain my freedom,” he clarified.
He disclosed that the Attorney-General has explicitly instructed him against fabricating evidence.
“He doesn’t want me to lie against Chairman Wontumi in a bid to make myself look clean; however, I shouldn’t lie because the state also have evidence against me which could put me into trouble if I tell lies,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wontumi’s legal team, led by former MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, have expressed disappointment over the AG’s move but acknowledged its procedural validity.
“We have just been served with the notice of withdrawal of the fourth accused person, so they have come under the rules of court and have every right to do so,” Appiah-Kubi said.
However, he reiterated Wontumi’s innocence, insisting the defense would contest the allegations vigorously.
The trial, involving two separate galamsey cases against Wontumi, has been adjourned to November 12 and December 4, 2025.
Wontumi, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, remains on bail.