NPP Vows to Appeal Wuntumi's 20-Year Sentence, Calls It Political Imprisonment
- The NPP held a press briefing on July 20, 2026, after Ashanti Regional Chairman Wuntumi received a 20-year prison sentence
- General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua led senior party figures, including Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin, at the briefing to back Wuntumi
- The NPP described the court's ruling as politically motivated and announced plans to challenge the sentence through an appeal
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The New Patriotic Party has publicly rejected the 20-year prison sentence handed to its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wuntumi, describing the ruling as an act of political persecution.
Source: UGC
Senior party figures gathered at a press briefing on July 20, 2026, the same day the sentence was handed down, to present a united front in support of the embattled chairman.
Among those present were Minority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin, fellow NPP parliamentarians and several other national party executives, signalling the weight the NPP attached to the occasion.
NPP brands Chairman Wuntumi's sentence "political imprisonment"
General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua addressed the media on behalf of the party, making no effort to soften the party's stance on the ruling.
"Indeed, we consider the decision of the court decision a political imprisonment; indeed, Chairman Wuntumi is a political prisoner," Kodua said.
He characterised the sentence as one driven by political calculations rather than the merits of the case, and confirmed that the party intends to pursue an appeal against the court decision.
The high-profile turnout at the briefing stressed the significance Wuntumi holds within the NPP's internal structures. As Ashanti Regional Chairman, he has long been a powerful and influential figure in a region considered the party's traditional stronghold.
The Instagram post below shows the NPP National Executive announcing plans to appeal Chairman Wuntumi's 20-year sentence.
The YouTube post below has the full press briefing organised by the NPP national executives to address Chairman Wontumi's 20-year prison sentence on July 20, 2026.
Chairman Wontumi found guilty on six charges
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court in Accra has found Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, guilty in connection with illegal mining activities linked to Akonta Mining Company Limited's concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The verdict, delivered by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay on July 20, also covers Akonta Mining Company Limited and a third accused person, Kwame Antwi.
The court found him guilty on counts relating to the assignment of mineral rights without approval and facilitating unlicensed mining operations.
Source: YEN.com.gh
