The Minority Caucus has mounted a fierce defense of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, following his conviction and 20-year custodial sentence by the High Court in Accra over illegal mining charges.
In a statement issued by leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin the press on Monday, 20th July 2026, the Minority Caucus described the judgment delivered by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay against Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited as fundamentally flawed, alleging severe constitutional breaches and selective justice.
The caucus highlighted procedural irregularities during the trial, specifically the court’s decision to proceed with judgment despite the absence of the defense lead counsel due to prior professional commitments outside the jurisdiction.
Drawing parallels to historic legal battles, the opposition pointed out that denying an accused person their legal representation of choice undermines fair trial guarantees enshrined under Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution.
The Minority further criticised the trial court’s refusal to refer crucial constitutional interpretation questions regarding the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) to the Supreme Court under Article 130.
They argued that lower courts lack the jurisdiction to resolve ambiguous constitutional provisions independently, warning that bypassing the apex court sets a dangerous precedent for judicial overreach and risks vitiating the entire trial outcome.
Beyond legal arguments, the statement raised concerns over the uneven application of state power, accusing the government of wielding prosecutorial machinery selectively against opposition figures while stalling investigations into ruling party officials linked to similar illegal mining allegations.
Reading the statement, Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin stressed that their stance is not a defense of illegal mining, but a crusade to protect constitutional order and institutional fairness.
He urged Wontumi’s legal team to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal and seek redress at the Supreme Court if necessary.
“We speak today not as advocates for any individual, but as custodians of a constitutional order that must apply equally to every Ghanaian, regardless of political colour,” Afenyo-Markin stated, before declaring Chairman Wontumi a “political prisoner.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
