Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has dismissed claims that the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was selectively prosecuted while others implicated in the illegal mining case were allowed to escape punishment.

He insisted that the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman chose to stand trial instead of taking advantage of Ghana's plea bargaining law.

In an interview on Joy FM's News Night on Tuesday, July 21, while responding to suggestions that two individuals linked to the illegal mining operation were turned into prosecution witnesses while Wontumi was singled out for prosecution, Dr Srem-Sai said the difference lay in the legal choices made by the accused persons.

"The two gentlemen took advantage of the plea bargaining law and entered into plea bargaining negotiations, which resulted in a non-prosecution agreement that we entered into with them. As part of the plea bargaining, they forfeited their excavators, the gold that was confiscated and other equipment. They were also required to testify for the prosecution," he explained.

Read also: NPP declares Wontumi a ‘political prisoner’, vows to appeal conviction

He stressed that Wontumi, on the other hand, was offered the same legal avenue but opted to contest the charges in court.

"The accused person, Chairman Wontumi, chose not to take advantage of the plea bargaining law and decided to go to trial," Dr Srem-Sai stated.

The Deputy Attorney-General rejected claims that the prosecution simply forgave the other accused persons in order to secure Wontumi's conviction.

"The public has been discussing this issue as if we just saw these two people and said, 'Come and testify for us and we'll forgive your sins.' That was not what happened," he said.

Dr Srem-Sai further noted that, beyond the plea agreements, the High Court also made confiscation orders at the conclusion of the trial, reinforcing the state's efforts to recover assets connected to the illegal mining activities.

He argued that the existence of plea bargains did not prevent the state from pursuing the principal accused who declined to negotiate.

According to him, the case demonstrates the operation of Ghana's plea bargaining framework rather than selective justice, maintaining that Wontumi's prosecution followed his decision to reject a negotiated settlement and contest the charges before the court.

His comments come after the NPP has described its Ashanti Regional Chairman as a 'political prisoner' following his conviction and 20-year prison sentence in an illegal mining case.