Shock and anger after top Ghanaian politician sentenced to 20 years for illegal mining

Shock and anger followed the sentencing of Ghanaian opposition leader Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as “Chairman Wontumi,” to 20 years in prison with hard labour for illegal mining. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) said the landmark ruling was politically motivated and described Boasiako as the first senior politician in Ghana convicted of illegal mining since the government launched a crackdown in 2017. In addition to the jail term, the court ordered him to pay more than $10,000 (£7,450 / Ksh1.29 million) in fines. Prosecutors found him guilty of assigning mineral rights without approval and facilitating an unlicensed mining operation through his company, Akonta Mining. The trial took place in Accra on Monday, and environmental campaigners welcomed the verdict as a deterrent, while NPP general secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong said lawyers had begun the process to challenge the conviction.