The Ofoase-Ayirebi Member of Parliament, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has said Chairman Wontumi, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, has been incarcerated while the actual galamsey kingpin has been left off the hook.
Oppong Nkrumah argued that Chairman Wontumi was not convicted for engaging in illegal mining but over activities allegedly carried out by another person on land linked to his company.
The NPP MP was quoted to have said, “Several NDC persons whose submission of no case had been rejected by the courts and had a case to answer, have been left off the hook by the NDC prosecutors and the courts”.
According to Oppong Nkrumah, Wontumi’s conviction did not stem from allegations that he personally engaged in illegal mining.
“Instead, Wontumi has been jailed not for illegal mining but that someone who he argues he gave his company’s former mine to, for purposes of reclamation, was found doing mining on it,” he stated.
Oppong Nkrumah further questioned why the individual allegedly involved in the mining activity was not punished.
“And yet the actual illegal miner has been set loose rather,” he said.
“This is not law or justice. It is a weaponising of the justice delivery system. This is why the NPP considers Wontumi a political prisoner. The justice system has been turned upside down,” Oppong Nkrumah added.
Meanwhile, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described the 20-year sentence of Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a ‘travesty of justice’.
According to the NPP, they respect the authority and independence of the judiciary, but strongly disagreed with the court’s decision.
The NPP believed that the conviction could not be sustained on the evidence presented during the trial.
The NPP, addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, July 20, addressed by the General Secretary of the party, Justin Frimpong Kodua, announced plans to mount a legal and political challenge against his conviction.
Speaking to the press, Justin Frimpong Kodua stated, “We address you today with profound disappointment, but also with an unwavering commitment to the rule of law, constitutional democracy, and the pursuit of justice”.
“While we respect the authority of our courts, respect for the judiciary does not require silence in the face of a judgment that is fundamentally flawed. Our Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to disagree with judicial decisions and to seek redress through the appellate process. That is precisely what we intend to do.”
“It is our considered view that Chairman Wontumi has been convicted in circumstances where there was no evidence at all to support a conviction in respect of the offence for which he has been convicted,” Mr Kodua stated.
“It was never disputed that Chairman Wontumi lawfully acquired his mineral concession. That fact was established and accepted before the court.”
“The prosecution could not produce any evidence to show that Wontumi had assigned his mineral right.”
“That is why we firmly believe that this conviction is a travesty of justice and has to be overturned on appeal,” Mr Kodua said.
He further added, “The NPP legal team is filing an appeal of this decision. I want the whole world to know that Wontumi being sentenced is because of politics; he did not commit any crime. He is a political criminal; it is because of politics that is why he has been jailed”.
@ghnow_ Police CID transfers Chairman Wontumi from the CID Headquarters to Nsawam Prison to begin his 20-year jail term after the completion of all necessary custodial and administrative procedures. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – Wasako Lyrics
@ghnow_ NPP leadership arrive for press conference after Chairman Wontumi’s 20 years sentencing #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – Wasako Lyrics
