GHANA has sentenced a senior opposition politician to 20 years in prison over charges tied to illegal mining, said Bloomberg News citing a report by Joy FM – a privately-owned broadcaster based in Accra.
An Accra High Court convicted Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti regional chairman, on counts including granting mineral rights without ministerial approval and knowingly enabling illegal mining, the broadcaster said.
The case follows a police crackdown launched last year targeting small-scale illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, which has fouled rivers, stripped forests and become a major political flashpoint in Africa’s leading gold producer.
Earlier this month, Ghana’s cabinet approved amendments to its mining law for submission to parliament. The amendments are part of government efforts to increase oversight of the key revenue-earning sector and curb illegal mining, Reuters reported.
“This policy seeks to indigenise mining by strengthening local content through domestic value addition to minerals, improve linkages to manufacturing industry, and deal decisively with the menace of illegal mining and the protection of our environment,” said Mines Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
The World Gold Council, estimated that roughly 1,000 tons of gold produced yearly by small-scale miners enters illicit channels, with potentially half reaching criminal networks.
Ghana founded Gold Board (Goldbod), a buying agency in 2025, to buy artisanally mined gold and help prevent environmental damage caused by illegal mining. Mercury pollution, for instance, has contaminated over 60% of the nation’s waterways.
Goldbod bought up to 54 tons (1.9 million ounces) of gold from artisanal and small-scale miners in the first half of 2026 – sufficient to put the country on track to match or exceed last year’s record output, according a report by Reuters which cited the state entity’s CEO.
Samuel Gyamfi, head of GoldBod, said the artisanal sector generated close to $11bn in foreign exchange earnings last year, compared with roughly $9bn from large-scale miners. GoldBod’s 2026 forecasts had been based on an average gold price near $5,000 an ounce and weekly purchases of about 2.5t, he said.
Artisanal gold production in Ghana hit a record 104t last year, exceeding large-scale mining output for the first time.
