Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has described the conviction and sentencing of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as politically motivated.

In a post on X, Mr Oppong Nkrumah accused the justice system of being applied selectively, alleging that some individuals associated with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), whose submissions of no case had been rejected by the courts, had been allowed to escape prosecution.

“Several NDC persons whose submission of no case had been rejected by the courts and had a case to answer, have been left off the hook by the NDC prosecutors and the courts,” he wrote.

He contrasted those cases with Wontumi’s conviction, arguing that the NPP chairman was jailed over the actions of another person.

“Instead, Wontumi has been jailed not for illegal mining but that someone who he argues he gave his company’s former mine to, for purposes of reclamation was found doing mining on it. And yet the actual illegal miner has been set loose rather,” he stated.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah further questioned the fairness of the judicial process, describing the outcome as an abuse of the justice system.

“This is not law or justice. It is a weaponising of the justice delivery system,” he said.

He maintained that the NPP’s position on the case remained unchanged, insisting that Wontumi should be regarded as a political prisoner.

“This is why the NPP considers Wontumi a political prisoner. The justice system has been turned upside down,” he added.

The comments follow the High Court’s decision to convict Wontumi for allowing another person to use a mining concession without ministerial approval and deliberately facilitating unlawful mining, resulting in concurrent 20-year prison terms with hard labour.

The NPP has consistently described the prosecution as politically motivated, while the prosecution has maintained that the conviction was based on evidence presented before the court.