Why are you doing this to me? I couldn’t pay my children’s fees – Wontumi cries
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, has confirmed that his bank accounts have been frozen for reasons unknown to him.
In April 2025, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) reportedly froze all accounts linked to Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining, over alleged financial irregularities.
The freeze, according to reports, was carried out under Section 56(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044), which empowers the FIC to restrict access to financial accounts when there is reasonable suspicion of illicit activity.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, Chairman Wontumi revealed that both his personal and company accounts were frozen without any prior notification.
He said he only discovered the freeze when he went to the bank to withdraw money for his children’s school fees and personal expenses.
“What exactly is my offense? They froze all the accounts without any official communication. I went to the bank for a transaction and was told they had been issued a letter that I couldn’t be given money,” he stated.
The arrest
Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, is a prominent Ghanaian politician and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). In recent years, he has faced a series of legal challenges and public scrutiny, primarily related to allegations of illegal mining activities associated with his company, Akonta Mining Ltd.
Allegations of Illegal Mining Activities
In April 2025, Ghanaian authorities intensified efforts to combat illegal mining, commonly referred to as “galamsey.” An intelligence-led operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission targeted six suspected illegal mining sites in the Samreboi area of the Western North Region. These sites were allegedly linked to Akonta Mining Ltd., a company reportedly associated with Chairman Wontumi. The operation resulted in the arrest of 26 individuals, including foreign nationals, and the seizure of eight excavators, vehicles, and other mining equipment.
Following these events, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) froze all bank accounts of Akonta Mining and Chairman Wontumi under Section 56(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044), due to allegations of financial irregularities.
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Calls for Prosecution
The Media Coalition Against Galamsey and other civil society organizations have called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Chairman Wontumi and other directors of Akonta Mining Ltd. They allege that the company engaged in unauthorized mining activities in protected forest reserves, violating Ghana’s mining laws.
Legal Response
In response to the government’s actions and public allegations, Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Ltd. filed a lawsuit against the government of Ghana.
Denial of Arrest Reports
Chairman Wontumi’s legal challenges and the allegations against Akonta Mining Ltd. highlight the complexities of Ghana’s ongoing battle against illegal mining. As the legal proceedings unfold, the case underscores the importance of transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law in the country’s natural resource management.
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has confirmed reports of a raid by security operatives at his home on Friday, May 23, 2025.
Speaking in an interview
Speaking in an interview with his media house, Wontumi Radio, on Friday, May 23, 2025, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman indicated that the security officials who stormed his house were from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), adding that they were there to arrest him.
He indicated that before the attempted arrest, the Ghana Police Service had already invited him to their office, so he would resist any attempt of the NIB to arrest him.
“… I called Mr Offie (a police officer) and told him that on Monday we would report to his office. He told me that I should write a receiving note that I had accepted their invitation and added that I would be coming on Monday.
“I did what he asked me to do and gave (sic) them what they requested. Yet, when I woke up this morning, I saw a lot of people in front of my house saying the BNI boss in Kumasi had asked them to come for me. I told them that the police had already informed me that they needed me to assist with an investigation, and I have told them that I will be reporting to them on Monday – so why would he send for me?” Wontumi narrated in Twi.
He continued
“I told him no and that I was going to call the police officer. When I called the police, they said they had not sent any person to pick me up and that they are waiting for me to report on Monday,” he added.
“So, what have I, Wontumi, done? I have never been president before. I have never been a vice president. I have never been on any government board, I have never been a CEO, I have never been a minister, I have never had any government appointment, nor have I worked for the government in any capacity. So, what is happening?
“Is it because I want to become a National Chairman that the NDC wants to frighten me? God is not going to allow this to happen. As we speak, we are still at my home. They are not going to have it easy,” he added.
It is not clear why the security officials were at Wontumi’s home, but the government recently suspended the mining licence of his company, Akonta Mining, accusing it of engaging in illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region.