The family of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, says it is devastated by his conviction and 20-year prison sentence, describing the judgment as unexpected and difficult to accept.
Chairman Wontumi’s brother, Addai Poku Aikins, said the family never anticipated that the NPP stalwart would receive such a lengthy custodial sentence.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Aikins said the verdict had left the entire family heartbroken.
“The entire family is downhearted and devastated. We never expected Chairman Wontumi to be jailed today,” he said.
Describing the emotional toll of the judgment, he added, “He is my brother and we are devastated. It is unfortunate with respect to the sentence given to my brother. I’m very down.”
According to him, the defence mounted during the trial gave the family every reason to believe the outcome would be different.
“If you look at the defence, there was nothing to show that he would get this two-decade judgment. I never expected the judgment. A 20-year sentence is hard; you won’t even wish it for your enemy,” he stated.
Mr. Aikins disclosed that the family would engage the New Patriotic Party and Chairman Wontumi’s legal team to determine the next course of action.
“The family is down. We will communicate with the party and also the legal team to see what to do about the judgment and determine the way forward,” he said.
His comments follow the decision of the Accra High Court, Criminal Court 4, which sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty in the illegal mining case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The court convicted Chairman Wontumi, Akonta Mining Company Limited and another accused person, Kwame Antwi, over unlawful mining activities on the company’s concession.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000, with a default sentence of three years’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid. The custodial sentence and the default term attached to the fine will run concurrently.
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