How many years did Jesus even spend on earth for you to give Wontumi 20 years? — Paul Yandoh criticises court ruling

The Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Kwabena Yandoh, has criticised the 20-year prison sentence imposed on the party's Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing the punishment as excessive.

Speaking on Asempa FM, Mr Yandoh questioned the length of the sentence by drawing a comparison with the lifespan of Jesus Christ.

"If you say you are putting someone in jail for 20 years... How long did even Jesus Christ live for? How then can you put Wontumi in prison for 20 years?" he asked.

Mr Yandoh, who is contesting for the NPP's Ashanti Regional Secretary position and has publicly received Chairman Wontumi's backing, said the conviction had deeply affected him both emotionally and financially.

He disclosed that he had been unable to grant media interviews since news of the conviction emerged because he was overwhelmed by emotion.

"I have cried a lot since the news broke yesterday," he said. "NDC is really harming me. This is my fight. It is not a small issue. It is a sad issue."

Mr Yandoh also maintained that Chairman Wontumi was innocent of the illegal mining offences for which he was convicted, alleging that a witness gave false evidence against him.

"Someone rather went onto his land. You caught the culprit, freed them and asked them to be a witness against your landlord so we imprison him. And since he loves his wife and her cooking, he came to bear false witness," he alleged.

He further revealed that the imprisonment of the NPP regional chairman had also affected his financial well-being, explaining that Chairman Wontumi had been providing him with financial support.

"I'm seriously pained, I don't know what to do. My finances are in shambles. It is Wontumi who was bearing me up," he said.