The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced steps to appeal the conviction and 20-year prison sentence imposed on its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in the Samreboi illegal mining case.
The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to two concurrent 20-year prison terms after finding him guilty of assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and deliberately facilitating unlawful mining activities.
Meanwhile, Akonta Mining Limited was also convicted and fined.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, July 20, 2026, the NPP’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, described the ruling as “political prisoner.”
He noted that although the party acknowledged the independence of the judiciary, it believed the High Court erred in convicting Wontumi.
“We respect the authority of our courts, but respect for the judiciary does not require silence in the face of a judgment that is fundamentally flawed.”
According to the party, the prosecution failed to prove that Wontumi unlawfully assigned or transferred his mineral concession, insisting that no evidence was presented to support such claims.
“The prosecution could not produce any evidence to show that Wontumi had assigned his mineral right. That is why we firmly believe that this conviction is a travesty of justice and has to be overturned on appeal,” he added.
He disclosed that the opposition party and its legal team had begun the process of appealing the judgment in an attempt to overturn the High Court’s decision.
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