Some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have criticised the 20-year prison sentence imposed on the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing the punishment as excessive.
Speaking to the media after the sentencing on July 20, 2026, the supporters argued that the penalty did not match the offence and questioned the severity of the court’s decision.
“Chairman Wontumi hasn’t killed anyone. Twenty years is too much. Even those who have been accused of theft are not handed such a sentence. All this is political persecution. The government should know that it won’t be in power forever,” one supporter said.
Their comments followed a ruling by the Accra High Court, which found Wontumi guilty of offences linked to illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who presided over the Criminal Division of the High Court, also fined him 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000. The court ordered that he would serve an additional three-year prison term if he failed to pay the fine.
The case involved allegations that Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited assigned mineral rights without the necessary approval and facilitated unlicensed mining operations, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act.
Meanwhile, a video showing Wontumi reciting Hebrew prayers has resurfaced on social media following the court’s decision, drawing renewed public attention in the aftermath of his sentencing.
