Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is set to challenge the 20-year prison sentence imposed on him by the Accra High Court after he was convicted of illegal mining offences.

The High Court on Monday, July 20, found Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining, guilty of engaging in illegal mining activities at the company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.

The court subsequently sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment.

Before the judgement was delivered, lead counsel for Chairman Wontumi, Samuel Atta Akyea, had asked the court to adjourn the ruling, explaining that he was out of the country and would return on July 22.

However, the trial judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, rejected the request, stating that both the prosecution and defence had been consulted before the judgement date was fixed.

She noted that the defence should have raised any concerns about counsel’s availability at the time the date was agreed.

The court also dismissed an application by the defence seeking to defer the judgement and refer certain constitutional issues to the Supreme Court for determination.

Chairman Wontumi had been charged with assigning mineral rights without the approval of the Minister responsible for mining and facilitating unlicensed mining operations at Samreboi.

Speaking on TV3 after the sentencing, former lawyer for Chairman Wontumi, Kwame Andy Appiah Kubi, disclosed that his former client had instructed him to file an appeal if the court imposed the custodial sentence.

He described the outcome of the case as disappointing, saying, “We will proceed on appeal. He called me this morning and gave me instructions that ‘if it should happen this way, go on appeal on my behalf.’”

The announcement indicates that Chairman Wontumi will seek to overturn both his conviction and the 20-year prison sentence through the appellate courts.