Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has said it would be wrong to rule out Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a key figure in illegal mining (galamsey) activities.

Speaking on Prime Insight on Joy Prime on Saturday, October 4, during discussions on President John Mahama’s engagement with civil society organisations (CSOs) on galamsey, Mr Kotoko said evidence gathered over time suggested that Mr Wontumi’s operations extended widely within the illegal mining chain.

“You cannot rule out that Wontumi was one major kingpin who was having a lot of tributaries. So that is one big shot you are trying to take down,” he stated.

Mr Kotoko also criticised former President Nana Akufo-Addo for publicly defending Chariman Wontumi and others accused of illegal mining without proper investigations.

“You saw how he always rushed to the defence of these people without any thorough investigation,” he said.

He noted that such political interference weakened the country’s fight against illegal mining.

“Those were the things that should have allowed somebody to realise that this was rather what is called an enabler of the enterprise,” he explained.