Chairman Wontumi Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment with Hard Labour
The High Court in Accra has sentenced New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to 20 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of offences related to the unauthorised assignment of mining rights and facilitating unauthorised mining operations.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay stated that the relevant provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act were introduced to address the growing challenge of illegal mining activities in the country and must be enforced strictly.
The court acknowledged that Chairman Wontumi was a first-time offender but emphasised that the seriousness of the offences required a custodial sentence.
On Counts One and Four, the court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units on each count. The court further ruled that failure to pay the fines would attract a default custodial sentence of three years.
The High Court ordered that the sentences on both counts run concurrently.
The ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings involving the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, with the court stressing the need for accountability in the management of Ghana’s mineral resources.
