Drama unfolded at the High Court when the first defence witness mounted the witness box to testify in favour of former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly referred to as Wontumi.
Wisdom Edem Gomashie, a mining engineer by profession, had to take back several details in his sworn statement after the court admitted it into evidence.
During cross-examination by Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, it emerged that the witness’s academic qualifications and educational history were contradic tory.
For example, when asked about his age, Edem Gomashie told the court that he was born in April 1993; his witness statement cited 1998 as the year he obtained his first degree.
The Deputy Attorney General, bemused by the development, again pointed to another inconsistency in which the witness statement averred that the mining engineer obtained his master’s degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), but insisted that the degrees were actually awarded by the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) and the University of Ghana.
When questioned about the inconsistencies, Edem Gomashie admitted the errors but maintained that they were the result of mistakes and typographical omissions in the statement.
Presiding Judge Audrey Kocuvie-Tay directed the witness to make the corrections so the court could update the records.
Proceeding with his testimony, the mining engineer indicated that hat verbal permission cannot amount to the assignment of mineral rights under Ghana’s mining laws.
Citing the Mining Act 703, Wontumi’s first witness held that assignment of a mineral right, among other things, involves a documented written approval from the lands minister, which he maintained was missing after reviewing the charge sheet, facts of the case and the ruling of the High Court.
Gomashie further explained that permitting the individual to do a reclamation exercise on the mining concession, as was done by Wontumi, did not constitute a transfer or assignment of Akonta Mining’s lease.
But Deputy Attorney General Srem-Sai suggested to the witness that he had no expertise in law, noting that his interpretation and expert opinion on the matter were not properly grounded.
Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining have been charged with assigning mineral rights without authorisation and facilitating illegal mining at Samreboi in the Western Region.
They have pleaded not guilty and are on bail. A third accused person remains on the run.
By Laud Adu-Asare
