The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has accused the government of weaponising state institutions to target political opponents under the guise of fighting illegal mining (galamsey).

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, May 26, Mr Ahiagbah criticised the government's handling of the recent arrest and investigation of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

Read also: Chairman Wontumi granted bail after CID interrogation

Chairman Wontumi was arrested and questioned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) over alleged involvement in illegal mining activities. He was later released on bail after submitting documents reportedly proving that his mining operations are legal.

According to Mr Ahiagbah, the government's actions were not grounded in evidence but were instead politically motivated.

“This government is just targeting its political opponents to victimise and silence people,” he said. “If you don’t have any evidence, why send NIB officers to someone’s house at dawn, freeze his accounts, and cause embarrassment to their families?”

He explained that during his interrogation, Wontumi was asked two key questions—whether he was a galamseyer, and whether he mined in a forest reserve. Wontumi responded that he is a licensed small-scale miner and does not operate in forest areas. He presented official documentation to support his claims.

In light of this, Mr Ahiagbah argued that the absence of incriminating evidence proves the case was never about justice, but rather an attempt to destroy Chairman Wontumi’s reputation and intimidate other political figures.

“This is classic political witch hunt because it is Wontumi, we will target him and single him out, because he his a NPP member, we will target him and single him out for treatment. This is not right. This is not how this government should be fighting the galamsey," he noted.

He further questioned whether the government's broader fight against illegal mining is being carried out with diligence and fairness, or merely being used as a tool for political persecution.