“Wontumi’s Conviction Shows His ‘Political Insurance’ Has Expired” — Inusah Fuseini Fires
Former Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Inusah Fuseini, says the jailing of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) exposes how political power previously shielded key actors in illegal mining.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, July 20, Mr Fuseini argued that Wontumi’s prosecution only became possible after the NPP lost power, insisting that the businessman’s long‑running “political insurance” evaporated the moment the party exited office.
According to him, officials under the Akufo‑Addo administration knew the identities of illegal miners but failed to act because political considerations took precedence over enforcement.
“The [NPP] government knew those who were doing the illegal mining. But what did the politicians do? They simply offered their insurance. As for Wontumi, his insurance cover expired when the NPP government went out of office. So, he was exposed.”
Fuseini cited a letter from former Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, warning Wontumi against mining in the Samreboi Forest Reserve after the Minerals Commission reportedly confirmed he lacked authorisation. He accused the Akufo‑Addo administration of refusing to act on the warning.
“Nana Akufo-Addo failed, refused, or neglected to deal with it. He was the one who cleared Wontumi.”
He warned that Ghana’s fight against illegal mining will remain ineffective until governments are willing to prosecute politically exposed persons involved in galamsey.
“People who are doing the galamsey have simply taken insurance, political insurance. Until the government starts dealing with those people, the impunity will not stop.”
His comments follow the Accra High Court’s decision to jail Wontumi for unlawfully assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and facilitating illegal mining on Akonta Mining Limited’s Samreboi concession. Wontumi received 20 years’ imprisonment, to run concurrently, while Akonta Mining Limited was fined 15,000 penalty units on each count.