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The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been captured in court after a bench warrant was issued against him on Tuesday morning. In a video shared by 1957, he appeared following his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, in court. In an interview, NPP activist Koka claimed that Wontumi was present at the court premises at the time his bench warrant was being issued. According to him, the politician thought his case would be called at 10 am and was therefore hanging around the court premises. An Accra High Court issued a bench warrant for the Arrest of the Ashanti Regional Chairman in response to his absence from court on Tuesday. Wontumi is facing charges at the High Court, including undertaking a mining operation without a licence as co-owner/director of Akonta Mining; abetting the unauthorised felling of trees in the Tano Nimri forest reserve; and abetting the unauthorised erection of buildings in the forest. He was arraigned three weeks ago alongside one other person, during which he pleaded not guilty and got bail in the sum of GHC10 million with two sureties, one of whom must justify with proof of landed property. The politician is standing trial alongside Akonta Mining Limited; Edward Akuoko, the Operations Manager of Akonta Mining Company Limited; Kwadwo Owusu Bempah, the company’s Operations Manager; and Kwame Antwi, a co-director, both of whom are currently at large. Story by Hajara Fuseini
