Former Information Minister and Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has criticised the conviction and sentencing of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing the development as an abuse of Ghana’s justice system.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah argued that several individuals associated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), whose submissions of no case had reportedly been rejected by the courts, had not faced similar consequences despite having cases to answer.
In a statement on X reacting to Chairman Wontumi’s conviction, he alleged that the justice system had been applied selectively, claiming that political considerations had influenced the handling of legal matters.
According to him, Chairman Wontumi was not convicted for personally engaging in illegal mining but rather because an individual who he said had been given access to a former mining concession belonging to his company for reclamation purposes was found carrying out mining activities.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah questioned why the person allegedly engaged in the illegal mining activity had not faced similar legal consequences, arguing that the outcome represented an inversion of justice.
“This is not law or justice. It is a weaponising of the justice delivery system,” he stated.
He said the development explains why the NPP considers Chairman Wontumi a political prisoner and maintained that the justice system had been “turned upside down.”
The comments follow the High Court’s conviction of Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited on mining-related charges under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
The judgment has generated strong reactions from both supporters and critics, with the NPP indicating that it intends to pursue available legal avenues to challenge the decision.
