Former Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Dr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has confirmed that Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been transferred to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison to begin serving his 20-year prison sentence following his conviction in an illegal mining case.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen programme on Monday, Dr Boakye-Danquah said he had just parted ways with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman before prison authorities escorted him to the correctional facility.
“I have just parted ways with him, and he is being taken to Nsawam. How did we get to this stage as a country?” he said.
The transfer follows a ruling by the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court, where Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay convicted Chairman Wontumi over illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region. In addition to the 20-year custodial sentence, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional three-year prison term.
Reacting to the judgment, Dr Boakye-Danquah expressed disappointment, saying the defence team had been confident that the evidence presented during the trial did not establish Chairman Wontumi’s personal involvement in illegal mining.
“We did not expect this outcome because, based on the evidence we provided, it was clear that there was nothing presented in court that showed Chairman Wontumi was personally involved in illegal mining throughout the proceedings,” he stated.
According to him, the defence remained optimistic throughout the trial that the evidence would favour their client. He added that the legal team had expected the High Court to delay its judgment pending the determination of an application filed before the Supreme Court.
“We were therefore very hopeful that, considering the application that was filed at the Supreme Court, Her Ladyship would take her time to consider the matter. Unfortunately, she did not agree with our position and went ahead to deliver her judgment,” he said.
Dr Boakye-Danquah described the conviction as deeply unfortunate and argued that it could be interpreted by some as political victimisation due to Chairman Wontumi’s prominent position within the opposition NPP.
“It is very sad. It feels like a form of political victimisation of a politically exposed individual,” he remarked.
He stressed that Chairman Wontumi is one of the party’s most influential figures, serving as the Ashanti Regional Chairman in what is widely regarded as the NPP’s electoral stronghold.
“We are not talking about just any other person. We are talking about the sitting Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, the stronghold of the party and the largest opposition party,” he said.
The former government spokesperson also questioned whether the state’s anti-galamsey campaign would be applied consistently to all individuals alleged to be involved in illegal mining.
“If this is the direction we are taking, while we know that there are others who are actively involved in galamsey, then we will wait and see how things unfold,” he said.
Despite his concerns over the verdict, Dr Boakye-Danquah called for national unity, expressing hope that the country would move forward peacefully.
“We can only hope and pray that our country can come together and find its way forward,” he added.
He further defended Chairman Wontumi’s conduct throughout the trial, insisting that the NPP regional chairman had fully respected the judicial process by attending every court hearing and cooperating with proceedings.
“Chairman Wontumi has been law-abiding throughout this case. There was not a single day that he failed to appear in court. We have been very cooperative with the court and followed due process,” Dr Boakye-Danquah said.
Chairman Wontumi’s conviction is among the most high-profile judgments in Ghana’s ongoing crackdown on illegal mining, with legal proceedings expected to continue as his defence team considers its next course of action.
