A Communications Team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Awal Mohammed, has claimed that the government is failing in its legal case against the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

Speaking on Prime Insight on Joy Prime, Mr Mohammed said court proceedings so far show that the state lacks evidence to support its claims against Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining.

“If you’re following the case, you know that the government is losing. According to the government itself, they do not have any documentation to show that he authorised someone to go into the concession to do it,” he said.

Mr Mohammed explained that the government had gone to court alleging that Akonta Mining authorised individuals to enter a forest reserve to engage in activities that destroyed water bodies.

“You went to court and said that Chairman Wontumi’s Akonta Mining had given someone authority to enter into a forest reserve to destroy our water bodies,” he stated.

However, he said the situation changed when the court demanded evidence to back the claims.

“They asked you to bring your disclosures. They asked you to tell the court if you really have any document to show that Chairman Wontumi authorised the person.”

According to Mr Mohammed, the government admitted in its disclosures that it had no such documents.

“You said you don’t have any documents. You could tell from the case management that they don’t even have anything.”

• Read also: Accra High Court dismisses application by Chairman Wontumi’s lawyers for further disclosures

He described the charges as weak and politically motivated.

“It is just trumped-up charges to really destroy his name,” Mr Mohammed said.