Bawumia visits Wontumi at Nsawam, assures him of NPP’s support
New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has paid a visit to the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.
The visit, which took place on Wednesday, July 22, followed Wontumi’s conviction and sentencing in the Akonta Mining illegal mining case two days earlier.
Dr Bawumia had also directed the party’s legal team to work alongside lead counsel Samuel Atta Akyea in preparing an appeal against the conviction.
He said the NPP leader considered it important to publicly respond to the judgment, rally the party’s legal experts, and provide every lawful support necessary to challenge the ruling.
During the visit, Dr Bawumia reportedly encouraged Wontumi to remain resolute and assured him of the party’s unwavering support throughout the legal process.
Wontumi was convicted by the High Court in Accra on Monday, July 20, and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on each of two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. He was also fined 10,000 penalty units on each count. Akonta Mining Limited, which was convicted on two counts in the same case, received a fine of 15,000 penalty units.
Before delivering its judgment, the court dismissed a defence application seeking to refer constitutional issues arising from the case to the Supreme Court. Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay ruled that the application lacked merit and proceeded with the judgment.
Following the ruling, Samuel Atta Akyea criticised the court’s decision, arguing that the constitutional questions should have been determined by the Supreme Court. He confirmed that the defence would appeal the conviction.
