The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, says the conviction of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has dealt a heavy blow to the party.
According to him, Wontumi’s influential role as the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman makes the High Court’s decision one the party cannot ignore.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Mr Baffour Awuah said the judgment has left party members shocked and devastated.
“Wontumi is no ordinary person. He’s the chairman of the party in the Ashanti Region, the largest constituency of the party, and so if anything like this has happened to him, definitely it is not something which is light. We can’t take it lightly at all, and so it’s something which has devastated us,” he said.
The lawmaker said the NPP closely followed proceedings throughout the trial but remained unconvinced by the evidence presented by the prosecution.
He noted that although the party is yet to study the full judgment, members are struggling to understand how the evidence led to a conviction.
“We as a party followed the proceedings, and we are very surprised because if you look at the evidence that was tendered, even though we are yet to see the judgment, we want to appreciate the basis upon which a court can convict on evidence which, in our view, was very porous,” he said.
Mr Baffour Awuah argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient direct evidence to meet the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
He said the party would carefully review the court’s reasoning before deciding on its next line of action.
“We are waiting to see the judgment, see how the judge evaluated the evidence and came to the conclusion that she has come to. If the record of proceedings we have is anything to go by, we think there has been a travesty,” he added.
Chairman Wontumi was on Monday sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment after the Accra High Court found him guilty in the illegal mining case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The court dismissed an application by the defence seeking to delay the judgment and refer aspects of the case to the Supreme Court before proceeding with the ruling.
Throughout the trial, Chairman Wontumi denied authorising illegal mining activities, insisting that the agreement in question was solely for land reclamation and the establishment of a coconut plantation.
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