The Parliamentary Minority Caucus has branded Bernard Antwi‑Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, a “political prisoner,” following his twenty‑year conviction under the Minerals and Mining Act.
In a strongly worded conclusion to its statement, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo‑Markin insisted that the ruling was marred by constitutional defects, including denial of counsel of choice and refusal to refer constitutional questions to the Supreme Court. He pledged that the Caucus would pursue “every lawful and constitutional avenue” to ensure justice is done.
“This is not an attack on Justice Kocuvie‑Tay or the judiciary as an institution,” the statement clarified. “It is a call for consistency, for constitutional fidelity, and for a transparent justice system that inspires confidence across the political divide.”
The Caucus reiterated solidarity with Wontumi’s family and the New Patriotic Party, assuring them that their pain is shared. It vowed to monitor any appeal and press for redress until the defects it identified are addressed “fully, transparently and without fear.”
Earlier sections of the statement had urged the Attorney‑General to publish its enforcement record on illegal mining across the political spectrum, the Court of Appeal to rigorously examine fair trial concerns, and the judiciary to reaffirm the threshold for constitutional referrals under Article 130. The Caucus also called on all Ghanaians to demand equal standards of justice, citing the 2016 acquittal of Tsatsu Tsikata as precedent for correcting miscarriages of justice.
The Minority concluded with a sweeping declaration: “Chairman Wontumi is a political prisoner,” framing the case as emblematic of selective justice and warning that uneven application of prosecutorial power corrodes democratic trust.
Leave a Reply