Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, better known as Chairman Wontumi and the jailed Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, has expressed regret to President John Dramani Mahama and First Lady Lordina Mahama over harsh comments he directed at them while campaigning for the 2024 general election.
Wontumi is currently serving a 20-year jail term after being found guilty of illegal mining in the Samreboi Forest. His spokesperson, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, told Accra-based Citi FM that the apology was offered in a spirit of goodwill, with a request that the President consider showing him 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,” Boakye-Danquah said.
He was careful to stress that the apology does not mean political disagreements with President Mahama had any bearing on the court case that led to the 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 stated.
According to Boakye-Danquah, the request for forgiveness is intended solely to foster reconciliation and should not be taken as any suggestion that politics shaped Wontumi’s prosecution or the length of his sentence.
Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour on the relevant counts (to run concurrently) and fined 10,000 penalty units on each, while the company received fines of 15,000 penalty units per count. The offences fall under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended.
In the judgment, the court cited the need for deterrence against environmental degradation linked to illegal mining (galamsey) and noted that Wontumi was treated as a first-time offender, which influenced the decision not to impose the maximum possible term.
Wontumi’s conviction has drawn strong reactions, with the NPP describing it as a miscarriage of justice and mobilising support, while government and anti-galamsey advocates have framed it as accountability in the fight against illegal mining.
