NPP Unites Behind ‘Political Prisoner’ Wontumi

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected the 20-year prison sentence handed to its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, insisting that he was convicted without evidence and describing him as a “political prisoner.”

Addressing journalists at a press conference in Accra on Monday, July 20, 2026, after an emergency meeting of the party’s leadership, the NPP announced that it would appeal the High Court’s ruling, arguing that the judgment was based on assumptions rather than proof beyond reasonable doubt.

The party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, said that although the NPP respected the authority and independence of the judiciary, it believed every citizen had the constitutional right to challenge court decisions they considered unfair.

He maintained that Chairman Wontumi’s conviction amounted to political imprisonment and insisted that the prosecution failed to establish the key elements of the offences.

“The NPP considers Wontumi a political prisoner,” he said.

According to Mr Kodua, it was never disputed during the trial that Chairman Wontumi had lawfully acquired the mining concession at the centre of the case. He argued that the real issue before the court was whether Wontumi had unlawfully assigned or transferred the concession without the approval required by law.

“It was never disputed that Chairman Wontumi lawfully acquired his mineral concession. That fact was established and accepted before the court. The central question was whether that concession had been assigned or transferred in violation of the law,” he explained.

The General Secretary further argued that the prosecution failed to produce evidence showing that Chairman Wontumi had transferred or assigned his mineral rights.

“It is our respected view that no evidence was adduced before the court establishing any such assignment or transfer of mineral rights by Chairman Wontumi. Instead, the conviction rested on assumptions and inferences which, in our view, could not amount to proof beyond reasonable doubt. That is why we firmly believe that his conviction is a travesty of justice and has to be overturned on appeal,” he added.

Mr Kodua added that the New Patriotic Party stands firmly behind Wontumi and that the party’s legal team had already begun the necessary steps to appeal the judgment.

“Finally, let me assure every member of the New Patriotic Party and the good people of Ghana that Chairman Wontumi is not alone. There is no justification for the judgment, as the judge obviously ignored clear evidence exonerating Wontumi. The New Patriotic Party stands firmly with him. Our legal team has already commenced the necessary steps to challenge the judgment through the appellate process.”

The Verdict

Chairman Wontumi was convicted on Monday in the Akonta Mining illegal mining case after the Accra High Court found him and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, guilty on four charges relating to the unlawful assignment of mineral rights without ministerial approval and facilitating an unlicensed mining operation.

The court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining allowed Henry Okoom and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to carry out mining activities on the company’s concession without first obtaining approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, as required by law.

The court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment on each of two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. He was also fined GH¢120,000, with an additional three-year prison term in default of payment.

Akonta Mining Limited was also convicted and fined GH¢180,000 on two counts.

During the trial, Chairman Wontumi told the court that he had only given Henry Okoom permission to reclaim degraded land by planting coconut trees and not to engage in mining. He also claimed he did not know Okoom was a small-scale miner and believed he was only a mine support service provider.

However, the court rejected that explanation, saying no evidence was presented to support Okoom’s alleged expertise in land reclamation. The judge also relied on Okoom’s unchallenged testimony that he mined on parts of the concession to recover the cost of reclamation after Chairman Wontumi failed to provide funds for the work.Applying the legal principles on circumstantial evidence established in Duah v The Republic [1987-88] 1 GLR 343, the court concluded that there was no reasonable explanation other than that Chairman Wontumi knowingly allowed the illegal mining activities to take place. The judge also dismissed his later claim that Okoom was expected to recover his investment from the future sale of matured coconut trees, describing it as an afterthought.

The court further relied on the principles established in Morkor v Kuma to lift the corporate veil of Akonta Mining Limited. Justice Kocuvie-Tay ruled that there was no effective management or executive board overseeing the company and found that Chairman Wontumi was the true controlling mind behind its operations during the period the offences were committed.

Several defence lawyers appealed to the court to show leniency by imposing the minimum sentence, but the court proceeded with the custodial sentence and fines.

Despite the conviction, the NPP has vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, insisting that the evidence presented during the trial did not justify the verdict and expressing confidence that the conviction would eventually be overturned.