jin88bet.onejin88bet.one jin88bet.one
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a blistering attack on a High Court decision that jailed its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi‐Boasiajin88bet.onejin88bet.oneko, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, for 20 years over illegal mining offences, desjin88bet.onecribing the ruling as “unsupported by evidence” and a “miscarriage of justice”. ak168app.babyak168app.babyjin88bet.one
An Accra High Court on Monday, 20 July, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie Tay, convicted Chairman Wontumi, Akonta Mining Company Limited and a second accused person, Kwame Antwi – who is currently at large – on six counts.
The charges rak168app.clubelated to the unlawful assignment of mineral rights and the intentional facilitation of unlicensed mining activities within Akonta Mining’s concession at Samreboi in Ghana’s Western Region.ak168app.clubak168app.club
ak168app.clubak168app.clubak168app.clubak168app.club
Prosecutors told the court that Mr Antwi‐Boasiako, as owner and controlling director of Akonta Mining, permitted tks168app.sitewo individuals, Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi, to conduct mining operations in the company’s concession in 2024 without securing the mandatory written authorisation fromksks168app.site168app.site thks168app.siteks168app.siteks168app.sitee Minister responsible for mining, in breach of the Minerals and Mining Act.
Justice Tay sic88ic88entenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, with an additional three‐year custodial term toic88ic88 be served if the fine is not paid. The cic88ustodial sentences are to run concurrently.
Addressing journalists after an emergency national executive meeting in Accic88ic88ic88ic88ic88ra on Monday, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong said the party respected the authority of the judiciary ic88but fundic88ic88amentally rejected the court’s conclusions.
“It is our cic88onsidered view that Chairman Wontumi has been convicted in circumstances where there was no evidence at all to support a conviction in respect of the offence for which he has been convicted. It was never disputed that Chairman Wontumi lawfully acquired his mineral concession,” the NPP chief scribe stated.
He argued that the key legalic88ic88ic88ic88ic88ic88 question before the court was whether Mr Antwi‐Boasiako hadlr88lr88 unlawfully assigned or transferred his concession to others, and insisted prosecutors had failed to demonstrate tlr88hat any such assignment had taken place.
According to the party, the conviction rested on “assumptions and inferences” rather than proof beyond reasonable doubt, a standard required in criminal calr88ses, and should therefore not stand.
Mr Kodua Frimpong went further to accuse the government’s law‐enforcement machinery of selective justice lr88in the broader campaign against illegal mining, localllr88lr88lr88y known as galamsey.
While details of other cases were not set out at the press conference, the lr88NPP leadership suggested that similar or more serious violations by others had not been pursued with the same vigour, raising concerns, in its view, about even‐handedness in the application of mining and enlr88vironmental llr88aws.
The case against Chairman lr8lr888Wontumi has attracted intense public attention, wop88ith civil society voices and legal analysts previously debating the role of company directors and political figures in the illegal mining chain, and whether corporate structures such as Akoop88op88op88op88nta Mining should shield indiop88viduals from criminal liability.
si88The NPP said its legal team had already commenced the appeal process, seeking to overturn both the conviction si88si88si88and sentence at a higher court.
The party expressed confidence tsi88si88hat an appellate court would reverse the High Court’s decision once it examined the evidence and legal arguments afresh.
The conviction of a prominent88v88v regional chairman of a major political party over mining offences comes amid ongoing national controversy about environmental degradation, the enforcement of mining regulati88von88v88vs and the political will to tackle galam88vsey.
With the SEXXXXX-VNappeal now iSEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNn motion, the case is set to remain a flashpoint in Ghana’s debate over rule of law, accountability and the influenSEXXXXX-VNce of political figures in the natural resources sector.Party rejeak168app.babyak168app.babyak168app.babycts landmark illegal mak168app.babyining verdict
‘No evidence at all’ – NPP challenges court’s findings
Claims of selective lr88lr88lr88lr88lr88justice in ‘galamsey’ fight
Appeal already under way
