The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region has announced plans for a massive show of solidarity with its Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as legal processes to appeal his conviction and sentence begin.
The party said the planned visit to the Nsawam Prison is aimed at reassuring the chairman of its unwavering support while rallying members behind efforts to overturn the court’s decision.
Acting Regional Chairman, Patrick Acheampong, said the party would continue to stand by its incarcerated chairman.
“We will organise buses and pay a visit to the party chairman. From there, we will come to our office and hold a vigil. We will show our loyalty to the chairman,” he said.
The party announced the move after a closed-door meeting with its 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by an Accra High Court after being found guilty of illegally permitting unlicensed mining operations on his company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
According to the party, Mr Antwi-Boasiako is being treated unfairly by the government and the judicial system.
“The news of his conviction did not come to us as anything strange because of issues that occurred in the course of the trial,” Mr Acheampong said.
He cited concerns raised during the trial, including the withdrawal of Wontumi’s lawyer over alleged bias by the presiding judge and the court’s refusal to refer constitutional matters to the Supreme Court as requested by the defence team.
“In such circumstances, the verdict should not be surprising to anybody,” he added.
Mr Acheampong said if the government is committed to fighting illegal mining, it must ensure that all persons involved in such activities are prosecuted.
He called for the rule of law to be applied without political bias, stressing that justice must be administered fairly for democracy to thrive.
The NPP has also urged its supporters to remain calm and united against any attempt to weaken the party’s front.
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