Why Chairman Wontumi was jailed: Deputy AG breaks down High Court ruling
- Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai revealed that the evidence that convicted NPP's Chairman Wontumi came from an unexpected source
- Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, received a 20-year prison sentence from an Accra High Court over illegal mining charges
- The NPP has announced plans to appeal the ruling after publicly denouncing the conviction as political persecution
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Ghana's Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has pushed back against claims that the conviction of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, was politically motivated, revealing that the ruling was largely built on materials submitted by the defence itself.
Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, after being found guilty on six counts of illegal mining offences connected to Akonta Mining Limited.
Source: Facebook
The court determined that he facilitated unauthorised mining activities on his company's concession without obtaining the required ministerial approval. He was additionally fined GH¢120,000.
Wontumi's own evidence underpinned the verdict
Speaking on TV3, Dr Srem-Sai explained that the judge drew heavily from materials the defence team itself had placed before the court.
"Most of the evidence that we have, the pieces of evidence that we have, which the judge relied on, came from their defence. Defence witnesses, the accused person's own comments, his own witness statement, his own police statement, those were the materials that formed the basis of the conclusion of the judgment," he stated.
Dr Srem-Sai addressed the NPP's political persecution narrative directly, expressing surprise at the characterisation while acknowledging the political context.
"It will be shocking, it is shocking to me, that they would say it's political persecution, but I understand what we do. This is politics in a way," he said.
Watch the video on X below:
NPP plans to appeal Wontumi's conviction
The Deputy AG also questioned the timing of the NPP's response to the verdict, noting that the party held a press conference before members had even reviewed the full judgment.
"They issued that statement or had the press conference when they had not even seen the judgment. So, do you expect them now that they've seen the judgment, they will go back and say what we said was wrong? They would never do that; they would rather double down," he added.
The NPP has since confirmed it intends to appeal the ruling.
Wontumi returns to court under prison guard
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that Chairman Wontumi arrived at the Accra High Court escorted by prison officers as proceedings in his illegal mining case continued.
The NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, July 20, 2026, over illegal mining in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
Wontumi's legal team has indicated plans to appeal the court's decision following the guilty verdict.
Source: YEN.com.gh
