The jailed Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has apologised to President John Mahama and First Lady Lordina Mahama over remarks he made during the 2024 election campaign, while appealing for presidential clemency following his conviction for illegal mining.

The apology was conveyed through his spokesperson, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, during an interview with Citi FM.

According to Boakye-Danquah, the apology was offered in good faith and formed part of an appeal for President Mahama to consider exercising his constitutional prerogative of mercy.

“The first call is to render an apology, and I think that is important. Former Chairman renders an apology to him if, at some stage, the conversations went overboard, which was never intended,” he said.

Boakye-Danquah, however, rejected suggestions that the apology amounted to an admission that political disagreements between Wontumi and the president influenced the criminal proceedings that resulted in his conviction.

“Not at all. We are aware that in this country there are influences. If you are able to identify those influences and begin making amends, I think we build a better society for all of us to live in,” he said.

He added that the appeal for forgiveness was intended to foster reconciliation rather than imply political interference in the prosecution.

Wontumi is serving a 20-year prison sentence after Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court convicted him on all six charges arising from illegal mining activities on the concession of Akonta Mining Limited at Samreboi in the Western Region.

He was convicted alongside Akonta Mining Limited and a third accused person, Kwame Antwi.

The prosecution said the accused unlawfully assigned mineral rights on the concession without the approval of the sector minister and facilitated mining operations without the required authorisation, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act.

The conviction has drawn significant political attention, with the opposition NPP describing the prosecution as politically motivated, while the government has maintained that the case was handled independently by the courts.