The arrest of Moses Kobena Bosompem at Kotoka International Airport on Monday evening—and his release within hours—has raised fresh questions about the handling of the controversial Adamus mining dispute, with sources alleging that pressure from influential quarters intervened after police investigators took him into custody.
Bosompem was reportedly arrested upon his arrival in Ghana and taken in for questioning in connection with the matter. However, sources familiar with the development said he was later released and asked to return for further interrogation.
The circumstances surrounding the swift release have intensified scrutiny of the broader Adamus saga, which has become one of Ghana’s most contentious mining disputes and involves allegations of substantial financial losses to the state.
The controversy has been linked to claims involving US$224 million in unexplained transfers abroad, GH¢86.8 million in unpaid royalties and GH¢290.5 million in outstanding tax liabilities.
Sources further alleged that individuals in high places exerted pressure on investigators following Bosompem’s arrest, amid claims that certain influential figures were seeking to shield Angela List from scrutiny.
Bosompem, described in court documents as an alleged agent of Angela List, signed the disputed share transfer agreement on 7 November 2022, transferring Adamus Australia’s 79,650 shares in Adamus Ghana representing 90 per cent of the company to Nguvu Mining Limited, a Mauritian company allegedly established for List.
The transfer was executed just two weeks before the Supreme Court of Western Australia delivered its landmark ruling in Morrison v Woodthorpe [No 3] [2022] WASC 454, which declared that List had no authority to alter the governance of Adamus Australia.
The Australian court has since clarified that Bosompem had no legal standing whatsoever to act on behalf of Adamus Australia. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s current records show that Moses Kobena Bosompem has never been a director or secretary of Adamus Australia.
Yet, despite these clear judicial findings, Bosompem was able to sign away a multi-million-dollar mining asset and when the law finally caught up with him, powerful hands reached out to pull him free.
The Western Australian Supreme Court meticulously dismantled the chain of illegal appointments that led to Bosompem’s purported elevation. The court found that Angela List had no authority to remove Allan Morrison as the sole director of Adamus Australia on 24 December 2021. Consequently, the subsequent appointment of Kevin Woodthorpe and Peter Michael as directors was also invalid.
Then, on 20 October 2022, Woodthorpe and Michael themselves illegally appointed resolved to appoint Bosompem as a director and company secretary of Adamus Australia, accepting their own resignations. Bosompem immediately lodged forms with ASIC to record these changes.
Justice Tottle was unequivocal: since List’s initial removal of Morrison was invalid, “all the subsequent changes in office holders of the second plaintiff” including Bosompem’s appointment were equally invalid.
The Reprieve That Raised Eyebrows
Bosompem’s arrest and subsequent release follows a controversial government decision that has sparked accusations of political patronage over regulatory probity.
On 21 August 2026, the Office of the President’s spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, announced a dramatic about-turn: rather than enforce the revocation of Adamus’ mining leases, the government would offer the company a 12-month “recovery roadmap” and a six-member joint management team split equally between the company and the state.
This reprieve came just days after the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, had upheld the revocation of three mining leases covering the Akango, Salman, and Nkroful concessions following an independent review that uncovered serious breaches of Ghana’s mining laws.
At the heart of the controversy is Angela Diala List, the daughter of Daniel Abodakpi, a respected elder of the National Democratic Congress.
Critics have pointed to the disparity between the government’s vigorous prosecution of opposition figures for illegal mining including the recent 20-year sentence handed to Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) and what they describe as “executive clemency for the offspring of NDC royalty”.
Despite being formally notified of the Australian parent’s objections, Ghana’s regulators moved in the opposite direction. On 23 December 2022, the Minerals Commission, acting on a letter signed by then Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, formally recognised Nguvu Mining as the new controller of Adamus Ghana. Four days later, the Registrar of Companies recorded Nguvu as the 90% shareholder.
Both approvals were granted without consulting Adamus Australia or independently verifying the authority of Moses Kobena Bosompim, who had purportedly signed the transfer documents.
The Accra High Court had established an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to oversee Adamus Resources Limited. Yet the IMC has faced significant opposition, both from local police and political figures, while trying to exercise its legal mandate.
In December 2024, a police detachment and private security personnel prevented the IMC from entering the Adamus site at Teleku Bokazo. The dispute, according to the IMC chairman, “revolves around Angela List, a purported Director of the Company, and Moses/Kobina Bosompim, who are accused of attempting to unlawfully transfer 90 per cent of the shares”.
Bosompem’s release with a promise to return for interrogation raises serious questions about the independence of Ghana’s law enforcement agencies. The CID has yet to provide details on the charges Bosompem will face.
The bigger question now is whether Angela List who has remained defiant despite multiple court restraints and whose company continues to ship gold without IMC approval will also be brought in for questioning.
The Adamus saga has become a defining test of whether Ghana will enforce the rule of law against well-connected elites, or whether partisan affiliation will continue to dictate the outcome of multibillion-cedi disputes