The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has refuted social media claims suggesting that its Deputy Commissioner, Mercy Larbi, was the judge who presided over the case that led to the conviction and sentencing of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 22, the Commission described the claims as false and misleading, explaining that posts circulated by a Facebook user identified as Frank Mandela Bawumia and a TikTok account, blakk360, incorrectly portrayed Mrs Larbi as the High Court judge who handed down the sentence.
CHRAJ stressed that Mrs Larbi had no role whatsoever in the case and did not participate in any aspect of the court proceedings.
According to the Commission, the use of her photograph in connection with the judgment is entirely inaccurate and has no factual basis.
It warned that the misinformation has the potential to mislead the public, erode confidence in the justice system and unjustifiably damage the reputation of its Deputy Commissioner.
The Commission therefore urged the public to disregard the circulating posts and refrain from sharing or reproducing the false claims.
CHRAJ further appealed to journalists, bloggers, digital content creators and the general public to verify information through credible and official sources before publishing or distributing it.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining its integrity, independence and impartiality, while continuing to carry out its constitutional mandate in accordance with the rule of law.
The clarification comes in the wake of Chairman Wontumi’s conviction in the Akonta Mining illegal mining case by the High Court in Accra.
Presiding judge Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay found Wontumi guilty on Counts One and Four and sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. The court also imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units on each count.
Akonta Mining Limited, which was tried alongside Wontumi, was convicted on Counts Three and Six and fined 15,000 penalty units on each count after the court ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
