'This Is Not Law or Justice' — Oppong Nkrumah Reacts to Wontumi's Sentence
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Ofoase-Ayirebi Member of Parliament has criticised the court decision that sentenced Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years in prison, arguing that the ruling raises concerns about fairness in the country's justice system.
The former Information Minister made the remarks shortly after the High Court delivered its judgment in the Akonta Mining illegal mining case.
According to Oppong Nkrumah, the opposition NPP believes Wontumi's conviction reflects what it describes as selective prosecution, insisting that the party now considers him a political prisoner.
In a statement published on his official X account, the lawmaker questioned why Wontumi received a lengthy prison sentence while, in his view, the individual alleged to have carried out the illegal mining activities was not similarly punished.
He maintained that Wontumi has consistently argued that his company had transferred its former mining concession to another party for reclamation purposes and not for mining operations. Oppong Nkrumah said that if illegal mining later occurred on the concession, responsibility should rest with those who allegedly carried out the activity.
The MP further claimed that other individuals facing criminal proceedings have not received similar treatment, describing the outcome of Wontumi's case as inconsistent with previous prosecutorial decisions.
Oppong Nkrumah argued that the verdict creates the impression that the justice system is being applied unevenly in politically sensitive cases.
"The NPP considers Wontumi a political prisoner," he wrote, adding that the judicial process had been "turned upside down."
The comments are expected to intensify political debate over the High Court's ruling, with supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) defending the independence of the courts, while members of the opposition continue to question the basis of the conviction.
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