The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a “political prisoner” following his conviction and 20-year jail sentence over illegal mining-related offences.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, July 20, 2026, the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, said the NPP believes the court’s decision amounts to political imprisonment and vowed to challenge the ruling through the appellate courts.
“We consider the decision of the court as amounting to political imprisonment. Indeed, Chairman Wontumi is a political prisoner,” Frimpong stated.
According to him, although the party respects the authority of the judiciary, it disagrees with the judgment and maintains that there was insufficient evidence to support the conviction.
Frimpong argued that the prosecution failed to establish that Chairman Wontumi had unlawfully assigned or transferred his mineral concession, insisting that no evidence was presented to prove the allegation beyond reasonable doubt.
“It was never disputed that Chairman Wontumi rightly acquired his mineral concession. The prosecution could not produce any evidence to show that he assigned his mineral rights. The conviction rested on assumptions and inferences,” he said.
The NPP General Secretary further described the conviction as a “travesty of justice” and disclosed that the party’s legal team has already begun the process of appealing the judgment.
Frimpong also accused the Mahama-led administration of applying justice selectively by aggressively pursuing political opponents while allegedly failing to investigate or prosecute persons linked to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) over similar illegal mining allegations.
He questioned the status of investigations into allegations involving some NDC officials and argued that the government’s anti-galamsey campaign would lack credibility if the law was not applied equally to all.
“Justice cannot be selective. The fight against illegal mining cannot be credible if allegations against members of the governing party are ignored while political opponents are prosecuted,” he stated.
He further accused the government of attempting to divert public attention from key national issues, including illegal mining, flooding, agriculture and security concerns, through what he described as selective prosecutions.
Reaffirming the party’s support for Chairman Wontumi, Frimpong said the NPP remains confident that the conviction will be challenged successfully on appeal.
“The New Patriotic Party stands firmly behind Chairman Wontumi. Our legal team has already commenced the necessary steps to challenge the judgment through the appeal process. The NPP considers Wontumi to be a political prisoner,” he added.
Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment after being convicted over illegal mining-related offences, a verdict that has sparked widespread political reactions.
The appeal process is expected to determine whether the conviction will be upheld or overturned.