Bernard Antwi Bosiako, known as Wontumi, and his company, Akonta Mining Company Limited, have filed an appeal against their conviction on illegal mining charges.

The notice of appeal was filed at the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), Accra, on 28 July 2026. It relates to Suit No. CR/0004/2026, in which the Republic is the prosecution against Wontumi, Kwame Antwi (said to be at large), and Akonta Mining Company Limited.

The appeal is against a judgment delivered by the High Court (Criminal Division '4'), Accra, on 20 July 2026. The case was presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay. Wontumi and Akonta Mining are appealing against the entire judgment.

They have raised three main grounds of appeal:

First, they argue that the convictions are unreasonable and not supported by the evidence presented at the trial.

Second, they argue that the trial judge failed to read the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) in full. They say two sections of the Act, when read together, actually support their innocence rather than their guilt.

Third, they argue that the trial judge overstepped her authority by interpreting a constitutional provision in a way that should have been left to the Supreme Court. They say this involved a dispute over the meaning of certain legal wording, which both sides had understood differently.

The notice states that further details on the appeal, including the specific outcomes being sought, are contained elsewhere in the filing.