Convicted Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has apologised to President John Dramani Mahama and First Lady Lordina Mahama for any offensive remarks he made against them during the campaign ahead of the 2024 general election.
The apology comes as Chairman Wontumi serves a 20-year prison sentence following his conviction over illegal mining activities in the Samreboi Forest of the Western Region.
Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Wontumi’s spokesperson, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, said the apology was a sincere gesture of goodwill and formed part of an appeal to President Mahama to consider granting the former Ashanti Regional Chairman clemency.
“The first call is to render an apology, and I think that is important.
Former Chairman renders an apology to him if, at some stage, the conversations went overboard, which was never intended,” Mr. Boakye-Danquah said.
He, however, rejected suggestions that the apology amounted to an admission that political differences between Chairman Wontumi and President Mahama influenced the legal process that led to his conviction.
According to him, the appeal for forgiveness is intended to promote reconciliation and should not be interpreted as an allegation of political interference in the prosecution or sentencing of the former NPP regional chairman.
Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment after the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court found him guilty on six charges related to illegal mining.
He was tried alongside Akonta Mining Limited and a third accused, Kwame Antwi, over unlawful mining activities on the company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The prosecution argued that the accused unlawfully assigned mineral rights on the concession without the approval of the sector minister and facilitated mining operations without the necessary authorisation, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act.
While appealing for clemency, Mr. Boakye-Danquah maintained that the request was motivated by a desire for reconciliation and national unity rather than any claim that political considerations influenced the judicial process
