General News of Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Galamsey, GH¢50m COCOBOD Payment, Mahama Allegations: The 'sins' of Chairman Wontumi

Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has become the centre of ongoing public debates after his arrest, detention and subsequent hospitalisation.

These developments have caused some persons to scrutinise some his actions, utterances and accusations against him from the past.

Officially, the security authorities have cited him for crimes including illegal mining activities.

Aside from the official accusation, several videos of past actions of Chairman Wontumi have found their way onto the internet, citing him for one offense or another, culminating into what many have termed as ‘sins’ he is now going to pay for.

These videos captured him making wild allegations against proponents of the sitting government, including President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman.

Here are some of the allegations that have been made against Chairman Wontumi:

Galamsey allegation:

One of the official accusations against Wontumi is that he engaged in illegal mining activities.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service indicated that Chairman Wontumi is being investigated for alleged illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey.

In a press release dated May 26, 2025, the CID stated, "Following an invitation by the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, reported at the CID Headquarters today Monday, 26th May 2025 at mid-day to assist with investigation."

The statement outlined the allegations against Wontumi, which include, "undertaking mining operations without a licence, pollution of water bodies, and entering a forest reserve without authorisation."

According to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, a joint operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission led to the discovery of six illegal mining sites linked to Akonta Mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the South-Western Region of Ghana.

You people are there defending Chairman Wontumi. This is the videos the lands ministry posted about Akonta Mining. Destruction of lands pic.twitter.com/zcinkfrVXs
— Dr Sneaker Nyame (@_sneakernyame) May 28, 2025

Exim Bank suit

The lawyer of Wontumi, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has also disclosed that his client has been sued by Exim Bank.

According to Appiah-Kubi, the writ from Exim Bank was received on the afternoon of May 27, 2025, while Wontumi was undergoing questioning at EOCO.

"We have also received this afternoon a writ of summons from Exim Bank, and we are going to respond to the pleadings tomorrow," Appiah-Kubi stated.

"I am very hopeful that we will be able to mount a defence to the writ," he added.

Heard Wontumi fell sick and was rushed to the hospital during the EOCO interrogation.

Eii Wontumi, woboooowa Wobɛdam😭😂😂 pic.twitter.com/dD8Bat86KH
— AFiA DiMPLË (@Afia_Dimple) May 28, 2025

GH¢50 million COCOBOD payment

The Ashanti Regional NPP chairman also faces an allegation of undue payment of GH¢50 million by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) against him.

A report by ChannelOne TV, on May 27, 2025, indicated that the payment was made to Hallmark Civil Engineering, a company owned by Wontumi, in the last days of the erstwhile Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government after the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, had barred contract payments during the transition period.

"We are being told that this payment was done in the dying days of the NPP during the transition to the NDC, and at that time, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, had issued a warning to state agencies to stop all payments,” ChannelOne TV's Charles Owusu Kumi said in the video report.

Wontumi has, however, refuted the allegation of undue payment, stating that he has not directly received any amount of money from COCOBOD.

I nearly felt sad for Wontumi till I saw this. Raymond should press him more 😂😂😂pic.twitter.com/7sNjdmwU5K
— Berry ☯︎🦍🥷 (@fanti_boy) May 28, 2025

Attacks on President Mahama and family

The Ashanti Regional chairman, when the NPP was in power, made some wild allegations against President Mahama.

He made allegations of infidelity and adultery against the current president.

He said that the president’s wife, First Lady Lordina Mahama, caught him in bed with their house help.

He even, alleged that Vice President Naana Opoku-Agyeman was secretly married to President Mahama.

Ah Chairman Wontumi pic.twitter.com/N6efMGZnco
— Dr Sneaker Nyame (@_sneakernyame) May 23, 2025

Attacks on Vice President Professor Opoku-Agyemang:

Chairman Wontumi also made other wild allegations against Ghana’s vice president.

Aside from claiming that Vice President Opoku-Agyeman was a secret wife of Mahama, he said she was also a “witch”.

He described the vice president as a “wicked woman”, who has “disappointed herself and Ghanaians”, hence cannot be made a vice president.