The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has revealed that his office rejected offers for a plea deal in the ongoing illegal mining (galamsey) case involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

Dr Ayine explained that the Attorney General’s Department now maintains a firm stance on plea negotiations, insisting that all suspects must face trial and that any plea bargains should be presented openly in court rather than through private arrangements with prosecutors.

Chairman Wontumi, together with Kwame Antwi, a director of Akonta Mining, and the company itself, is currently facing two counts of illegal mining before the High Court in Accra.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, October 22, Dr Ayine reaffirmed his office’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the protection of public resources.

He emphasized that he has not been pressured or influenced by any senior government figure to compromise or drop charges.

“I am under no pressure from any quarters to cut any deals,” Dr Ayine stated. “The President has never interfered — when I brief him, he simply says, ‘Dominic, I’ve heard you.’ The Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the President, and the Legal Counsel have also never pressured me to reach any deal.”

Dr Ayine further confirmed that multiple offers for plea bargains, including those in the Wontumi case, had been declined.
“Offers have been made, and I have turned all of them down,” he said. “If anyone wants a plea deal, they should announce it before the judge — that is my new strategy.”

He concluded by reaffirming that the Attorney General’s Office remains committed to pursuing credible, watertight prosecutions to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law.