Lawyer Martin Kpebu has defended the decision to use two admitted participants in the Samreboi illegal mining case as prosecution witnesses, arguing that the state’s priority should be to prosecute the masterminds behind illegal mining operations rather than their subordinates.
Speaking on JoyNews PM Express after the High Court convicted and sentenced NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years imprisonment, Kpebu described Wontumi as a “kingpin” in Ghana’s illegal mining sector.
According to Kpebu, the two prosecution witnesses, Henry Okum and Michael Ayisi, appeared to be lower-level actors in the operation, while Wontumi was the central figure. He noted that successive governments and anti-galamsey advocates have consistently called for action against the powerful individuals who finance and direct illegal mining activities.
Kpebu further argued that Wontumi had publicly portrayed himself as a wealthy and influential mining businessman over the years, citing instances where he displayed gold bars and other symbols of wealth in the media. In his view, this reinforced the perception that Wontumi was a major player in the mining industry.
For that reason, Kpebu maintained that the prosecution was justified in relying on the testimony of the two witnesses to secure a conviction against what he described as the principal actor in the case
