Hanson Hayford

...I define my happiness and search for it. I like what i like...

[TegzDeGuhdGuy @Urhobo_Mudiaga]

Two people holding same thing

One is regarded as demonic, ritual, witchcraft and idolatry.

While the other is regarded as holy, purity, celebrating the martyr and divine.

This is what we’ve been reduced to.

My ancestors are Evil, but ur own is Holy, thank you oh colonization.

[Kwaku Asante @kwakuasanteb]

THE WONTUMI JUDGMENT - KIND COURTESY KWAKU AZAR

1. The Judgment in Brief: The High Court accepted the prosecution's case that Wontumi knowingly allowed Henry Okum to mine on Akonta Mining's concession without the Minister's approval. It rejected the defence that Henry Okum had been given permission only to reclaim degraded land by planting coconut trees.

The Court further held that Wontumi was the effective controlling mind of Akonta Mining, convicted both him and the company on the relevant counts, sentenced Wontumi to concurrent 20-year prison terms, fined the company, and ordered the forfeiture to the State of the equipment and other items seized from the concession.

2. What was this case about? The central question was whether Wontumi and Akonta Mining unlawfully allowed another person to use Akonta Mining's mining concession without the Minister's approval and, in doing so, deliberately facilitated unlawful mining.

The prosecution said they did. The defence said Wontumi never authorized mining. He only allowed Henry Okum to reclaim degraded land by planting coconut trees. If Henry Okum mined illegally, he acted entirely on his own.

3. Who were the accused? A1: Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi); A2: Kwame Antwi. He never appeared before the Court and remained at large, so the judgment made no determination of his guilt; A3: Akonta Mining Company Ltd.

4. What offences were charged?

The prosecution brought six counts, but they were based on only two offences repeated against different accused.

First offence: Allowing another person to use a mining concession without the Minister's approval. A mining lease gives its holder the exclusive right to mine within a particular concession. Because those rights are granted by the State, they cannot be transferred, shared, or otherwise dealt with without the written approval of the Minister.

The prosecution alleged that Wontumi and Akonta Mining allowed Henry Okum to use Akonta Mining's concession without obtaining that approval.

Second offence: Deliberately facilitating unlawful mining. The law does not punish only the person who actually carries out illegal mining. It also criminalizes intentionally helping, encouraging, or enabling another person to breach the mining laws. The prosecution alleged that Wontumi and Akonta Mining deliberately enabled Henry Okum and his workers to mine on the concession without lawful authority.

5. What did the prosecution have to prove? The burden of proof rested entirely on the prosecution. That meant it had to prove every element of every offence; the accused had no obligation to prove innocence; and if there was a reasonable doubt, the accused had to be acquitted. The standard of proof was beyond a reasonable doubt.

6. What evidence did the prosecution rely on? The prosecution called four witnesses. Henry Okum testified that he approached Wontumi, obtained permission to mine on the concession, and agreed that part of the gold proceeds would finance land reclamation.

Michael Gyadu Ayisi supervised operations on the site. He testified that he worked for Henry Okum and confirmed that mining was taking place.

A witness from the Minerals Commission confirmed that no Ministerial approval had ever been obtained and that Akonta Mining had never even applied for one.

Police officers testified that they arrested numerous workers on the concession and seized excavators, firearms, pumping machines, gold, cash, and vehicles.

7. What was the defence? The defence did not deny allowing Henry Okum onto the concession. Instead, it argued that: Henry Okum was there only to reclaim degraded land; Wontumi never authorized mining; Henry Okum exceeded whatever authority he had been given; and if illegal mining occurred, it was done without Wontumi's knowledge or approval.

The defence also called expert witnesses who testified that no legal assignment or dealing with Akonta Mining's mineral rights had taken place.

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

Take a read...

[Kwaku Asante @kwakuasanteb]

1. Why did the judge reject Wontumi's explanation?

The judge gave several reasons. First, Henry Okum was already a licensed small-scale miner. The judge considered it unlikely that an experienced miner would volunteer to reclaim land for free.

Second, land reclamation costs money, yet Wontumi admitted he gave Henry Okum no money to carry it out. The judge therefore asked a practical question: How was Henry Okum supposed to finance the reclamation? Henry Okum's answer was straightforward: by mining. The judge found that explanation more believable.

Third, Henry Okum consistently maintained throughout the trial that he mined with Wontumi's knowledge and that the mining financed the reclamation. The judge noted that this evidence remained substantially intact after cross-examination.

Finally, the judge regarded Wontumi's explanation, that Henry Okum expected eventually to recover his costs from mature coconut trees, as an afterthought.

She therefore concluded that Wontumi knowingly authorized both the mining and the reclamation.

1. Why was Wontumi personally convicted instead of only the company?

Normally, a company is legally separate from its shareholders and directors. The judge, however, found that Akonta Mining functioned differently.

She found that the second director had been absent for years; Wontumi alone controlled the company; there was no meaningful corporate governance; decisions were made informally; and the company's affairs were conducted personally by Wontumi.

She therefore lifted the corporate veil and treated Wontumi and Akonta Mining as effectively acting as one for the purposes of these offences.

1. How did the judge analyze the second offence? The judge identified four elements.

First: Was there an underlying unlawful act? Yes. Henry Okum mined without the legal authority required by law.

Second: Did the Act provide a separate penalty for that breach? No.

Third: Did Wontumi facilitate the unlawful mining? Yes. The judge relied on Wontumi's own admission that he allowed Henry Okum onto the concession.

Fourth: Did he act deliberately? Again, the judge answered yes. She relied on evidence that Wontumi helped Henry Okum obtain excavators; introduced him to equipment suppliers; and
actively assisted the mining operation. She regarded those acts as clear evidence of intentional facilitation.

1. What did the Court ultimately decide?

The Court convicted:

Wontumi

✔ Count 1 – Allowing another person to use the mining concession without Ministerial approval.

✔ Count 4 – Deliberately facilitating unlawful mining.

Akonta Mining

✔ Count 3 – Allowing another person to use the mining concession without Ministerial approval.

✔ Count 6 – Deliberately facilitating unlawful mining.

No determination was made against Accused 2 because he remained at large.

1. What sentence did the judge impose?

The judge emphasized that illegal mining causes enormous environmental harm and that deterrence was necessary. She nevertheless took into account that the convicted parties were first offenders.

Wontumi

Count 1: 20 years' imprisonment with hard labour; Fine of 10,000 penalty units; Default of payment: 3 additional years' hard labour.

Count 4: 20 years' imprisonment with hard labour; Fine of 10,000 penalty units; Default of payment: 3 additional years' hard labour.

The prison terms were ordered to run concurrently, meaning that if the convictions stand, Wontumi serves 20 years rather than 40 years.

Akonta Mining

Count 3: Fine of 15,000 penalty units

Count 6: Fine of 15,000 penalty units

The fines also run concurrently.

The Court also ordered that everything seized from the concession, including excavators, vehicles, firearms, pumping machines, gold, cash, and other equipment, be forfeited to the State under the Minerals and Mining Act.

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

It gladdens my heart to know that at least one idiot has been eliminated from the general public!

[THE AGYAP⭕️NG Diary 🇬🇭🇳🇱 @AgyapongDiary]

🚨 Chairman Wontumi spent years using his radio station to make serious allegations against Mahama. Now that he is facing legal challenges of his own, he wants to portray himself as an innocent victim.

If you were quick to make accusations against others, you should also be prepared to face due process when allegations are made against you. No one should be above the law.

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@Mr_kuditey @kwakuasanteb You're rather stupid! Ofori-Atta has ran away and has beendeclared wanted by a law enforcementagency: Partey has availed himself for trial. This should be easy for you to understand, you imp!

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@kayisUTD @PeeCeetheboss You're stupid for saying this. New workers at gala sites are usually less used to some of the dangers. Moreover, gala is highly informal and nobody gives you proper safety orientation after joining. There's no sh!t like blood money anywhere!

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

You are easily stupid! Even Ken Ofori-Atta is having a lawyer as well as a medical Dr. Fix your senses and stop chasing gays.

[JESUS Is The Only WAY🙏🏽 @GhanaSocialUni]

Naa NDC fuo no omo agyimi anaaa ?! Is it true that The anti LGBTQ law criminalises LGBTQ activities but includes amendments exempting legal, media and health professionals providing services to persons identified as LGBTQ.

What kind of foolishness is this ?! Then why pass the bill?!

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

Better than your hide-wearing lazy mofos. In Ghana, we are free to go anywhere. You are banned from stepping foot in some part of your own country and yet you turn your anger on fellow blacks. You bunch of coward criminals!

[sapso @sapso4]

@Mr_Ceyram Who listens to that ugly dress shirt wearing man!?

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@kwakuhelate1 No need to argue. Fante/Mfantse is not and has never been twi. There is whole bureau in Ghana for language classifications. They are clear enough on this topic.

[Austine @obiMpenaAustine]

FORENSIC AUDIT INTO THE 13th ALL AFRICAN GAMES

A thread

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@Khidss_Dhave @askghmedia You need to be very stupid to believe this nonsense. The Fantes saw civilisation, including western civilisation long before the forest dwarfs. They knew and were using guns before your illiterate folks.

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@weloveghana042 I hate these SA bunch with precision!

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@CucsmanE Black South Africans are probably the only bunch of people who've banned in their own country no to go to a certain location in their own homeland by the whites. Yet look at them towards other black people! Cowards, you better go and fight for Orania.

[Abier @abierkhatib]

Trump’s “victory timeline” claims.

Mar 3: "We won the war."
Mar 7: "We defeated Iran."
Mar 9: "We must attack Iran."
Mar 9: "The war is ending almost completely, and very beautifully."
Mar 11: “You never like to say too ⁠early you won. We won. In ​the first hour it was over.” Mar 12: "We did win, but we haven't won completely yet."
Mar 13: "We won the war."
Mar 14: "Please help us."
Mar 15: "If you don't help us, I will certainly remember it."
Mar 16: "Actually, we don't need any help at all."
Mar 16: "I was just testing to see who's listening to me."
Mar 16: "If NATO doesn't help, they will suffer something very bad."
Mar 17: "We neither need nor want NATO's help."
Mar 17: "I don't need Congressional approval to withdraw from NATO."
Mar 18: "Our allies must cooperate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz."
Mar 19: "US allies need to get a grip - step up and help open the Strait of Hormuz."
Mar 20: "NATO are cowards."
Mar 21: "The Strait of Hormuz must be protected by the countries that use it. We don't use it, we don't need to open it."
Mar 22: "This is the last time. I will give Iran 48 hours. Open the strait"
Mar 22: "Iran is Dead"

Mar 23: "We had very good and productive talks with Iran."
Mar 24: "We’re making progress."
Mar 25: “They gave us a present and the present arrived today. And it was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money. I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize.” Mar 26: "Make a deal, or we’ll just keep blowing them away."
Mar 27: "We don’t have to be there for NATO."
Mar 28: No major quote
Mar 29: Claimed talks were progressing
Mar 30: "Open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, or face devastating consequences."
Mar 31: Claimed a deal was "very close" and that Iran would "do the right thing"
Apr 1: "We’ll see what happens very soon."
Apr 2: Repeated that a deal was likely, while warning of continued strikes if not
Apr 3: "Something big is going to happen."
Apr 4: Said Iran must comply "immediately" or face further consequences.

Apr 5: "Open the fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah."
😂

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@md_afrik This is in Ghana though

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@grok @CXajji25253 @BarcaUniversal This is not true. Barca finished ahead of Atletico in the league phase. Therefore Barca will play home in the second leg should they meet

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@KingLeye_ @dawgdeyfool @grok Wrong grok. She's saying that she's been fair colored all her life and shows an old pic of when she gave birth to her first born. She then says stretch marks are not sores and they do not smell. She got them by using fake creams. She also says she's wealthy with cash at the bank

[Hanson Hayford @Banyinba]

@gyamfi__01 These are the people who can hardly fill a any form or write their own statement when it matters most. Peplease like this always realise the value of education when it's too late.

[Muhammad Yaasiin @Hajjyass70]

Energy security ✅

Energy Affordability ✅

Energy Sustainability ✅

[Cassiel Ato Forson (PhD) @Cassielforson]

👌