The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it will challenge the 20-year prison sentence handed to its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing the judgment as unjustified and politically motivated.
Addressing the media on Monday, July 20, after an emergency meeting of the party’s leadership, General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua assured party supporters that the NPP would stand firmly behind Chairman Wontumi.
“Let me assure all members of the NPP and the good people of Ghana that Chairman Wontumi is not alone,” he said.
Mr. Kodua argued that there was no legal basis for the judgment, claiming the trial judge failed to give due consideration to evidence that, in the party’s view, exonerated the Ashanti Regional Chairman.
“There’s no justification for the judgement since the judge obviously ignored clear evidence exonerating Wontumi,” he stated.
He announced that the party’s legal team had already begun the process of appealing the High Court’s decision.
“The NPP stands firmly with him. Our legal team has already commenced the necessary steps to challenge his judgment through the appellate process,” Mr. Kodua said.
The General Secretary further described Chairman Wontumi as a “political prisoner,” signalling the party’s belief that the prosecution and conviction were politically motivated.
“The NPP considers Chairman Wontumi a political prisoner,” he declared.
The reaction comes hours after the High Court in Accra sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after finding him guilty on six counts, including the unauthorized assignment of mining rights and facilitating mining operations.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court fined him 10,000 penalty units, with an additional three-year prison term in default of payment, to run concurrently. His company, Akonta Mining, was also fined.
