'The standard which cleared Tsatsu Tsikata in 2016 be applied in Wontumi’s conviction' — Minority demands

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for what it describes as consistency and fairness in the administration of justice, urging the judiciary to apply the same legal principles that resulted in the acquittal of veteran lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata to the case involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

The caucus said Ghana’s justice system must be seen as impartial and guided by uniform legal standards, regardless of the political background or status of individuals who appear before the courts.

The call comes after Chairman Wontumi was convicted on Monday, July 20, over illegal mining-related offences.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, July 21, Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei stressed that the Minority was not demanding special treatment for the NPP chairman but was advocating for equal application of the law.

She said as the matter moves to the Court of Appeal, the judiciary must rely on the same legal standards applied in previous landmark cases involving prominent personalities.

“We call on all Ghanaians of every party to insist that the standard which cleared Tsatsu Tsikata in 2016 be applied in Wontumi’s conviction today. This is not an attack on the judiciary as an institution, it is a call for consistency and a system that inspires confidence across the political divide and not merely within it.

“History will not remember this moment for the length of sentence, it will remember whether Ghana, when tested, decided to defend the constitution for everyone or for the power of the day.”

Mrs Appiagyei further argued that the credibility of Ghana’s justice system depends on the consistent application of legal principles without regard to political affiliation, social standing, or influence.