Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says the conviction of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was inevitable given the evidence presented during the trial.

Speaking on Joy FM's Top Story on Monday, July 20, Mr Kpebu said the testimony of the second prosecution witness, proved decisive because he admitted carrying out the mining activities and testified that Chairman Wontumi had given him access to the concession.

"The person who was given the opportunity to do the galamsey came to testify as the second prosecution witness. He did the galamsey and testified that Chairman Wontumi gave him the land to mine," he explained.

Mr Kpebu said that because the mining activities were not authorised, they constituted illegal mining, making the evidence particularly damaging to the defence.

"Once the gentleman who did the actual mining operations is testifying against Wontumi, and there is no evidence to discredit him or suggest he was lying or acting out of ulterior motives, Wontumi was bound to be convicted," he stated.

He argued that the outcome of the case should not have come as a surprise, describing it as "an open and shut case" based on the evidence before the court.

"This day was always coming. Wontumi himself would have known that conviction was a possibility because of the evidence that had been laid," he said.

Mr Kpebu's comments come after the Accra High Court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years' imprisonment over illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.

However, the New Patriotic Party believes the conviction is a political and vowed to appeal.