BY VALENTIA TETTEH
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced its decision to appeal the conviction of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing the court’s ruling as a miscarriage of justice.
Addressing a press conference, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, said the party respects the authority of the courts but believes the judgment is fundamentally flawed and unsupported by evidence.
“While we respect the authority of our courts, respect for the judiciary does not require silence in the face of a judgment that is fundamentally flawed. Our Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to disagree with judicial decisions and to seek redress through the appellate process. That is precisely what we intend to do as a political party,” he stated.
Mr. Kodua argued that Chairman Wontumi lawfully acquired his mining concession and maintained that the prosecution failed to establish that he had unlawfully assigned or transferred the concession.
“It was never disputed that Chairman Wontumi lawfully acquired his mineral concession. The central question was whether that concession had been assigned or transferred in violation of the law. No evidence was adduced before the court establishing any such assignment or transfer,” he said.
According to him, the prosecution relied on assumptions rather than evidence capable of proving the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
“The prosecution could not produce any evidence to show that Wontumi had assigned his mineral rights. Instead, the conviction rested on assumptions and inferences, which, in our view, could not amount to proof beyond reasonable doubt,” he asserted.
Mr. Kodua described the conviction as “a travesty of justice” and expressed confidence that the judgment would be overturned on appeal.
He assured party supporters that the NPP’s legal team had already begun the appeal process.
“The New Patriotic Party stands firmly with Chairman Wontumi. Our legal team has already commenced the necessary steps to challenge this judgment through the appeal process,” he said.
Chairman Wontumi was recently convicted and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment over illegal mining-related offences. The NPP says it will pursue all available legal avenues to challenge the conviction.
