The detained Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has apologised to President John Dramani Mahama and former First Lady Lordina Mahama for any comments he made about them during the 2024 general election campaign that may have been considered offensive.
The apology comes while Wontumi is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted over illegal mining-related offences at the Samreboi Forest.
Speaking in an interview with Citi News, Wontumi’s spokesperson, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, said the apology was made as a sign of goodwill and part of efforts to seek forgiveness from the President.
He also appealed to President Mahama to consider exercising clemency towards the former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman.
“The first step is to render an apology, and I believe that is important. The former Chairman apologises to him if, at any point, the discussions went beyond acceptable limits, which was never his intention,” Boakye-Danquah said.
However, he clarified that the apology should not be interpreted as an acknowledgment that political disagreements between Wontumi and President Mahama contributed to his prosecution or conviction.
According to him, the gesture is intended to encourage reconciliation and national unity rather than suggest that political factors influenced the legal process.
“Not at all. We understand that there are influences in society. If those influences can be identified and addressed, then we can build a better society for everyone,” he said.
Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years in prison after the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court found him guilty on all six charges brought against him.
He was prosecuted alongside Akonta Mining Limited and another accused person, Kwame Antwi, over alleged illegal mining activities carried out on the company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
The prosecution told the court that the accused persons unlawfully transferred mineral rights on the concession without the approval of the Minister responsible for Minerals and Mining and allowed mining operations to proceed without the necessary permits, in violation of provisions under the Minerals and Mining Act.
The conviction and sentencing followed a trial that centred on allegations of breaches of Ghana’s mining regulations.
