“The mere occurrence of unlicensed mining on their concession does not prove facilitation. The Attorney General has charged Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining Company Ltd, with six counts of permitting Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to mine on the company’s concession without prior approval from the sector minister, and with facilitating unlicensed mining. Wontumi's Galamsey Case: State presents two more witnessesMichael Gyedu Ayisi has testified that he partnered with Henry Okum to operate on Akonta Mining Company Limited’s concession. Okum claimed he had permission from Chairman Wontumi to conduct mining activities and continued working on the concession until their arrest. Under cross-examination, Ayisi admitted he had never met or communicated with Chairman Wontumi, did not have a mining licence, and had never applied for one.

Source: GhanaWeb February 19, 2026 12:16 UTC