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 rivers for drinking, cooking or farming because of contamination caused by illegal mining activities.
Speaking on Citi FM on Monday, July 20, 2026, the former Tamale Central Member of Parliament said the environmental devastation caused by galamsey leaves no basis for sympathising with individuals found guilty of offences related to the practice.
“You need to see what galamsey is doing to this country. People are becoming poorer. Farmers who are not engaged in galamsey are becoming poorer because, hitherto, they used to go to their farms and fetch water from streams and rivers to drink and cook. Now, they cannot do that,” he said.
Mr Fuseini further claimed that Chairman Wontumi had, in the past, publicly displayed gold obtained from his mining activities without facing legal consequences.
“I have no sympathy for Wontumi. What did he do? He displayed the gold that he won from small-scale mining or his illegal activity on TV, and nothing happened. Nothing, absolutely nothing happened in this country,” he added.
His comments come after the Accra High Court convicted Chairman Wontumi of unlawfully assigning mineral rights without the approval of the Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources and facilitating illegal mining activities on Akonta Mining Limited’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment on two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Akonta Mining Limited was also fined 15,000 penalty units on each count. The company was ordered to pay the fines, with default sentences prescribed by the court.