The leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has convened an emergency meeting to deliberate on the implications of the High Court’s judgement against the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, following his conviction in the Samreboi illegal mining case.
The high-level meeting, being attended by the party’s national executives, its presidential flagbearer and members of the NPP’s legal team, is expected to review the court’s decision in detail and determine the party’s legal and political response.
The emergency discussions come just hours after the Accra High Court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty on multiple illegal mining-related offences linked to the Samreboi mining concession in the Western Region.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 20, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong said the meeting is intended to thoroughly assess the judgement and chart the party’s next course of action.
“The leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), together with our Flagbearer and the Party’s legal team, is currently in a meeting to thoroughly review the judgement delivered by the Court in the case involving our Ashanti Regional Chairman, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, concerning the Samreboi mining matter, and to determine the appropriate next course of action,” the statement said.
Mr. Frimpong assured party members that the outcome of the meeting would guide the NPP’s official response, which will be communicated to the public after the deliberations have been concluded.
He appealed to party supporters across the country to remain calm and united while the leadership considers the legal and political implications of the judgement.
According to him, this is a period that requires discipline, restraint and solidarity among party members.
“The Party will communicate its official position and the decisions arising from these deliberations in due course,” he stated.
The General Secretary further urged members of the NPP to rally behind the party’s leadership and have confidence in the legal processes available, stressing that the party remains committed to addressing the matter through lawful and constitutional means.
The meeting has attracted considerable public attention as it marks the NPP’s first formal response to a judgement that has generated widespread political debate and public interest.
Court’s Judgement
The Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, on Monday, July 20, convicted Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, after concluding a trial centred on illegal mining activities at the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
The court found both Chairman Wontumi and the mining company guilty on six charges, including the unlawful assignment of mineral rights without the approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, as well as facilitating unlicensed mining operations.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay subsequently sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of GH¢120,000. The court ruled that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional three-year prison sentence.
Akonta Mining Limited was also fined GH¢180,000 after being convicted on two counts.
The judgement brings to a close one of the country’s most closely watched illegal mining prosecutions involving a senior political figure. It also adds to the ongoing national conversation on the enforcement of Ghana’s mining laws and the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
By 1960news.com
