Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini, says he has no sympathy for former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, following his conviction in an illegal mining case.

Mr Fuseini argued that the devastating impact of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has been felt across the country, particularly by farmers and fishing communities whose livelihoods have been undermined by the destruction of rivers and other natural resources.

He said many rural residents could no longer rely on streams for drinking, cooking or farming because of pollution caused by illegal mining activities.

The former Tamale Central Member of Parliament further maintained that Chairman Wontumi's conviction was the outcome of actions that had gone unpunished for far too long, alleging that the former NPP regional chairman had previously made public displays of gold obtained from mining activities without attracting any legal consequences.

According to him, the environmental destruction caused by galamsey should leave no room for sympathy for those found culpable.

Speaking on Citi FM on Monday, July 20, Mr Fuseini said, "You need to see what galamsey is doing to this country. People are becoming poorer. Farmers who are not engaged in galamsey are becoming poorer because, hitherto, they used to go to their farms and fetch water from streams and rivers to drink and cook. Now, they cannot do that."

He added, "I have no sympathy for Wontumi. What did he do? He displayed the gold that he won from small-scale mining or his illegal activity on TV, and nothing happened. Nothing, absolutely nothing happened in this country."

His comments come after the Accra High Court convicted Chairman Wontumi of unlawfully assigning mineral rights without the approval of the Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources and facilitating illegal mining activities on Akonta Mining Limited's concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.

The court sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment on two counts, to run concurrently, while Akonta Mining Limited was fined 15,000 penalty units on each count.